Case of man who called for burning of President's house adjourned to September 24

The case of Bless Amedegbe, who instigated the public on social media to burn the house of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and also kill police officers enforcing COVID-19 measures, has been adjourned to September 24.

This was after Mr Yaw Dankwah, the defence counsel, had prayed an Accra circuit court for a shorter date to enable him go through documents served on them by the prosecution.

According to Mr Dankwah it would also enable them to either object or accept some of the documents of the prosecution.

The court presided by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh granted defence counsel’s prayer and adjourned the case.

Amedegbe has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢100,000, with two sureties, and the court ordered that one of the sureties must be a public servant earning not less than GH¢1,000 cedis a month.

The 24-year-old security man, aka Don Dada Bless, who is facing a charge of assault on a public officer as well as false communication, denied the offences.

Amedegbe, is said to have taken the action because he believed the global pandemic was a hoax.

Detective Sergeant Frederick Sarpong told the court that the complainant was an operative of the Bureau of National Communication, National Security; while Amedegbe resides at Maamobi in Accra.

Sgt Sarpong said in April this year, after the President announced the restriction of movements order in the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi metropolitan areas, Amedegbe took video shots of himself and circulated same via YouTube and WhatsApp platforms, inciting the public to defy the President’s executive orders on the lockdown.

The prosecution said accused described the President’s social distancing directive as a result of the COVID-19 as ‘a hoax’, claiming the President was going to allow telecommunication companies to install 5G network, which would cause deaths.

According to prosecution, he consequently, incited the public to rise up against the President and set his house ablaze.

He said Amedegbe, in his self-made video, also incited the public to kill any police officer executing COVID-19 duties.

The prosecution said in his investigation caution statement, accused admitted having made and circulated the misleading video on his WhatsApp and YouTube platforms.- GNA