Eight pastors who flouted the government’s directives on public gatherings and went ahead to hold church services, were on Monday, granted GHc 10,000.00 bail each with two sureties each, by the Asokwa District Court in Kumasi.
They are Apostle Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie, Leader and General Overseer of Open Arms Ministry at North Suntreso in Kumasi and his son, Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie Junior, Administrator of the church.
Others are Apostle Moses Adebwenu, Pastors Eric Anim Acheampong, Richard Domfeh Mensah, Rexford Agyei, Johnson Addai and Richard Antwi, all of the True to Heaven Ministry at Atonso-Aprabon, in the Asokwa Municipality.
They have been charged with unlawful assembly by the police and will reappear before the court presided over by Mrs. Rosemary Asante on Thursday, March 26, this year.
The accused were arrested on Sunday March 22, this year, by the Ashanti Regional Police SWAT team, for conducting church services, contrary to the directives by the President for all churches to stop organizing services as part of measures to control the spread of covid-19.
Chief Superintendent Kofi Blagodze, prosecuting, told the court that the church leaders were apprehended separately at North Suntreso and Atonso-Aprabon, after the police got information that, they were holding church services in defiance of the directives by the government.
He said Apostle Sarkodie were arrested sometime last week on the same offence and granted police enquiry bail, but went on to defy the order and held another service on Sunday March 22, this year.
Chief Superintendent Blagodze, said the other six pastors were arrested separately for similar offence and brought before the court.
Source: GNA
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How could you flout a directive that is for the benefit of us all especially the ordinary citizens?If these churches had reasons to violate the directive, they should equally let the public know. But the ban on these church activities are on the fact that there is mass gathering, so when the people were arranged before court how many were in the court room?I guess they were far lesser than the 8 member church of "Taste and see that the Lord is Good Church" which has also been banned from service.
wow
And their members too what is wrong with them? They were even at greater risk than the pastor as he was probably safely seated away from the crow on the podium whilst the congregation huddled together. So just because they will miss collection they decided to ignore a directive that would keep all of us safe. They should be fined or jailed or both to serve as deterrent.
They are Apostle Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie, LEADER AND GENERAL OVERSEER of Open Arms Ministry at North Suntreso in Kumasi AND HIS SON, Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie Junior, ADMINISTRATOR of the church LEADER: FATHER ADMINISTRATOR: SON NO WONDER, THEY HAD TO HAVE THE DAILY SUNDAY WAGE!!!