Obinim hit me with crowbar – Witness

Kwame Ntim Katakyie, host of ‘Nya Asem Hwe,’ a programme on Hot FM, an Accra-based radio station, has told an Accra Court that he was assaulted by Bishop Daniel Obinim, leader of God’s Way International Ministry and his two associate pastors, when they stormed the station a couple of years ago.

According to him, he had to go to France for medical treatment as a result. Testifying in the case, he told the court, presided over by Justice Abdulai Iddrisu, yesterday that Obinim held a crowbar and tried to hit him and in an attempt to grab it, he (Ntim Katakyie) was overpowered and hit by the bishop.

The witness, who said this under cross-examination by Atta Akyea, counsel for the bishop, maintained that he went to France for treatment but he did not have any document to prove that.

The witness claimed he went to Nice in France and used a certain man’s documents for the treatment but when asked to bring the documents, he told the court that the man was deceased.

When pressed further to provide proof, Katakyie said he would contact the deceased man’s relatives; and when asked which year he went for the treatment, he said he had to look at his documents to recollect the year that happened.

Visa

In addition, he said he had a visa to prove he indeed travelled to France, and had been consequently ordered by the court to contact the deceased man’s relatives for documents to support his claims.

Okatakyie said he went to the hospital after the assault and when asked what report the doctor wrote, he asserted that he could neither remember that nor the name of the doctor.

Mr. Akyea further asked the witness if he told the doctor that he fell down while attempting to scale a wall, but he replied in the negative.

Counsel for the accused persons also put it to the witness that it was rather Bishop Obinim, Kinsgley Baah and Kofi Akwetey who had to be rescued by the police after some eight staff members of the station had beaten up the bishop.

In response, the host of ‘Nya Asem Hwe’ explained that he had by then left the radio station and so he could not tell what transpired thereafter.

On the claim that the bishop used a crowbar to hit him, counsel put it to the witness that it was not a crowbar, but Katakyie insisted that it was.

Evidence Expunged

The evidence of Shadrack Adu, the first witness in the case, had to be expunged from the records after he had failed to appear before the court.

Shadrack Adu is the producer of ‘Nya Asem Hwe’ and was the first to run to the police station to lodge a complaint when the alleged attack took place.

Charges

The suspects have been charged with unlawful entry, causing unlawful damage, causing harm, conspiracy to commit assault, assault and three additional counts.

They denied any wrongdoing and have been granted bail in the sum of GH¢10,000 with two sureties to be justified.

Events Narrating the events that led to the arrest of the bishop and his associates, prosecuting attorney, Joyce Debrah, who was led by Rita Doko, told the court that on August 8, 2011, Kwame Ntim Katakyie hosted a programme on Hot FM dubbed ‘Nya Asem Hwe’.

She said during the programme, an alleged sex scandal involving Obinim was discussed, adding that his wife, Florence Obinim, as well as the associate pastors, Kingsley Baah and Kofi Akwetey, were also discussed.

According to the prosecution, Mrs. Obinim, who was listening to the programme, informed her husband about it and so the accused person and his associate pastors went straight to Hot FM with fury and forcibly entered the studios by breaking the glass doors at the entrance.

The state attorney said while Baah and Akwetey wielded sticks, the bishop wielded a crowbar which he used to vandalize the sliding doors valued at GH¢20,000, and other voice equipment such as voice processor, valued at GH¢3,750 and a Toshiba laptop valued at GH¢750.

In addition, she stated that the suspects destroyed a headphone amplifier valued at GH¢2,250, a Telos Hybria valued at GH¢6,000, three sets of telephones valued at GH¢2,250 and another Telos Hybria costing GH¢18,000, FM transmitters valued at GH¢45,000 and Dell desktop computers valued at GH¢450.

Explaining further, she said all the property amounted to GH¢130,580 and noted that the host of the programme and a panellist, Rev. Ofori-Atta, were inflicted with various degrees of injury by the bishop and his accomplices.

Explaining further, she said the producer, Shadrack Adu, was also beaten up and he dashed to the Adabraka Police Station and lodged a complaint there.