Pastor, 5 others remanded following chaos on ARS Church premises

The Circuit Court at Tokor in the Ketu South of the Volta Region has remanded a 42-year-old Reverend Gilbert Korney, the Presiding Pastor of Apostles Revelation Society (ARS), headquarters, Tadzewu, in police custody for causing harm.

Raymond Wovenu, 52, a businessman, and Harry Atsu Wovenu, 36, unemployed, and the children of the High Priest of the ARS at Dzodze, Ny­eenyami Etse Wovenu, were remanded.

The children were Mathew Lartey, 31, a farmer and Otto Tormetsi, 89, and Victor Dzisenu, 80, securities of the church.

Police Chief Inspector Mcrae Pomevor told the court that on August 10, 2024, Superintendent Eric Vondee, the acting Dzodze District Police Commander (the complainant) and ASP James Anaman, the Ketu Divisional Motor Transport and Traffic Department Command­er, led 32 police personnel to Tadzewu.

The prosecution told the court, presided over by Mr. Joseph Ofosu Behome, that the leadership of the ARS had written to the police to provide security for its delegates' Conference.

Chief Insp Pomevor said on arrival at the ARS headquarters, supporters of the High Priest, numbering about 20, including the accused, had locked all the gates to the church premises, where the said conference was to take place.

He said the accused and others at large prevented some members of the church from opening the main gate to the Church premises.

Chief Insp Pomevor disclosed that the suspects and their collabo­rators attacked the police and other civilians with “stones and petrol bombs.”

The court heard that some of the aggressors used “catapults to pelt the police and other civilians with stones.”

Chief Insp Pomevor further­said that in the process, an attacker, called A4 (Mathew) pelted stones which hit D/Sgt Edward Quan­sah’s mouth causing him to lose some of his teeth.

The prosecution said the accused also hurled stones and petrol bombs at the vehicles used to convey police personnel to the lo­cation, including a Nissan Pathfinder belonging to one of the organisers of the conference.

Chief Insp Pomevor stated, “Some of these stones and petrol bombs hit the complainant’s vehicle, Toyota Hilux, with reg­istration number GC 7669–20 causing extensive damage to the left windscreen, the fender, and the left side passenger door. Some of the petrol bombs also landed in the bucket of the said vehicle burning the leather used to cover the bucket.”

The prosecution again noted that the “accused also rang the church bell to draw the town folks to the scene when the police tried to drive their vehicles to safety to prevent further damage.”

While the police attempted to engage the town folks, Matthew tried to stone ASP Anaman with a catapult, but missed the target, hitting rather, one of the town folks, named Mr. Kudjoe Hadza, injuring him severely.

Chief Insp Pomevor mentioned that the police retreated and re­ported the matter and lodged a com­plaint at the Dzodze Police Station, and the personnel there referred the case to the Police Divisional Headquarters at Tokor.

The court heard that four persons were arrested, while two others reported to the police in the company of their lawyer, Mr. Jonathan Adzokpe.

The court remanded the sus­pects to reappear on October 09, 2024, after Chief Insp Pomevor said investigation was ongoing and that some of the accused were at large.

The ARS, founded in 1939, is the first church to accept African values and customs against conventional Christian theology of the time.

The church has been em­broiled in protracted litigation over its leadership, following the demise of its founder, Mawu fe Ame Charlse Kwablavi Nutornti Wovenu.