 The International God’s Way Church has accused Paul Kwami Nti, a journalist of Hot FM, an Accra-based radio station, of disregarding an agreement to discontinue with the court action against the leader of the church, Bishop Daniel Obinim, after the journalist had allegedly collected GH¢20,000 in compensation.
Mr. Nti, popularly known as Barima Nti, has, however, denied the claim labeling it as a mere fabrication, when contacted by the Daily Graphic.
According to Mr. Nti, he had not seen the Bishop in a very long while, let alone collected the said amount from him.
The leadership of the church, however, maintained that the money was paid in two installments of GH¢10,000 each on October 28, 2011 and March 9, 2012, with the agreement that he would back out of the case in which Bishop Obinim was alleged to have assaulted him and another journalist at the studios of the radio station.
However, instead of keeping to the terms of the agreement, he continued to present himself in court and was even about to testify against Bishop Obinim in court.
The administration of the church, Mr. Kwame Owusu, told the Daily Graphic in Kumasi that the church was demanding a refund of the money from the journalist else they would advise themselves.
He showed the graphic reporter photocopies of receipts covering the payments and wondered why the journalist could take them for a ride.
Bishop Obinim, who was arrested on August, 8, 2011 by the police for an alleged assault on two journalists at Hot FM studios, and some of his pastors have jointly been charged with seven counts of unlawful entry, conspiracy to commit crime to wit unlawful damage, causing unlawful damage, conspiracy to commit assault, and assault. He has, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Church administrator explained that it was Nti who suggested that the church compensate him so he drops the case against Obinim. “He initially demanded GH¢50,000 but we managed to bargain to GH¢20, 000,” the administrator said.
And since the church saw the journalist’s move as conciliatory, the church leaders welcomed it, he added. As a result two meetings were scheduled, first at Mr. Nti’s Sowutuom residence and later at the Alisa Hotel, both in Accra, where the two installments were handed over to him in the presence of witnesses.
Meanwhile, the lawyer for Mr. Nti, Nana Obiri Boahen, has confirmed receiving information about the payment of the amount of his client.
He, however, expressed surprise that Nti had gone behind him to collect the money when he had advised him against it and described his act as a “big betrayal”. “I am shocked because I told him (Nti) that any issue of compensation should be subject to the state showing no interest in prosecuting the case against Obinim,” Nana Boahen told the Daily Graphic on phone from his base in Sunyani.
The lawyer said his client had since failed to appropriately inform him after he reportedly received the money from the leadership of the church. |
