Police quiz Owusu Bempah over election prophecy
Scores of supporters of the General Overseer of the Glorious Word Power Ministry International, Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah, besieged the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service in Accra when he was invited by the police in connection with a prophecy about the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
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The supporters, comprising church members, his radio and television audience, some family members and friends, gathered outside the police headquarters asking for the release of their pastor, relative and mentor.
Rev Owusu Bempah was later released after being quizzed by the police.
Prophecy
Rev. Owusu Bempah had prophesied that some assailants had planned to assassinate the flag bearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo, during his campaign ahead of this year’s elections.
He is also reported to have prophesied on several occasions that Nana Akufo-Addo had been ordained by God as President of Ghana and would win the 2016 election.
Rev. Bempah is reported to have said on radio that: “I have given several prophecies in the past that have come to pass. I prophesied that there was going to be a plane crash in Ghana, it came to pass. I prophesied that if care was not taken, we would lose our President (President Mills), it came to pass. I prophesied that Nana Akufo-Addo was going to be stoned at a campaign rally, it came to pass. God has revealed to me that some people are plotting to kill Nana Akufo-Addo. They are planning several ways of doing that.”
Crowd
In connection with the prophecies, Rev. Owusu Bempah was invited by the police to appear before the CID yesterday for questioning. He honoured the invitation and went to the police in the company of his lawyer and some junior pastors of his church.
While at the CID, news went viral through the traditional media and social media that the pastor was being questioned. That led some of his supporters to besiege the premises of the CID headquarters in solidarity with him. The police had a tough time controlling the teeming crowd.
At a point, some supporters who were prevented from entering the compound of the CID headquaters by the fully dressed police personnel in riot control gear questioned the police personnel about their pastor’s invitation by the police.
A few others clapped and shouted in unison “we want our father,” while others were seen praying and pacing up and down the entrance of the CID headquarters.
Spiritual
One of the supporters, who gave her name as Lydia Amponsah, said: “I do not understand why the police have invited my Papa. It is not right. He is a man of God and God has been speaking to him. Do the police now want to gag men of God in this country?”
She explained that the prophecy was spiritual and “matters that are spiritual must be dealt with spiritually not physically. Inviting our Papa here will not help matters. They should rather call on him at his office and seek advice and direction on how they can handle the issue at hand.”
Another supporter, Mr Desmond Opare, a student, said he decided to skip classes for the man he described as his spiritual father.
“I love him so much and I believe he has good intentions for Ghana. I am prepared to stay out here all day until my spiritual father is released. They cannot keep him here because he has not committed any crime. He only delivered a message given to him by God for the nation.”
Later, when Rev. Owusu Bempah was released, there was massive jubilation as the members waved their handkerchiefs and cloths as the man of God was led by his lawyer and other pastors to a waiting white car.
Police tight-lipped
Though the police were tight-lipped over the invitation of Rev. Owusu Bempah, sources close to the police said he was quizzed over his inability to name those plotting the assassination.
The Daily Graphic later gathered that the Director-General of the CID, Commissioner of Police, Mr Prosper K Agblor, would brief the media on Friday about the invitation and how the police intends to handle such prophecies from men of God.
Last Tuesday, when the Minister of the Interior, Mr Prosper Douglas Bani, took his turn at the Meet-the-Press series in Accra, he called on pastors to stop predicting the results of the December 7 polls, since that action could pose security threats.
He explained that such public declarations of election results could stir controversy and violence among supporters of the political parties.
Unharmed
Later, the lawyer of Rev. Owusu Bempah, Mr Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, told journalists that his client had been released unharmed.
He explained that the invitation was a friendly engagement to give Rev. Owusu Bempah the opportunity to give the police advice on some of the revelations and prophecies.
“He was never arrested. It was just and invitation and he is safe and sound,” Mr Asamoah said.
