The Asokwa district court has granted bail to the head pastor of Open Arms Ministries, Apostle Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie, and one other to the tune of GHc 10,000 each with two sureties.
This comes after they were arrested on Sunday for holding a church service at the Church’s North Suntreso Branch despite the ban on all public gatherings, including church services in a bid to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week Wednesday, the head pastor of Open Arms Ministries, Apostle Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie and two of his church members were arrested and subsequently granted bail for organising a church service at the same premises despite the ban.
The pastor was rearrested together with his son, Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie Junior on Sunday for holding another church service at the same premises.
During the court proceedings, the prosecutor, Chief Supt. Kofi Blagodzi, indicated that the two were arrested for violating article 58 of the 1992 Constitution after they defied the directive of the President.
The two accused persons pleaded not guilty.
According to the prosecution, the accused persons said they were rather having a meeting to take a decision on the way forward for the Church and were not more than 25 persons at the time.
The prosecution further added that 23 other persons who were in the Church on Sunday, have absconded.
Their lawyer, John Brefo prayed the court to grant his clients bail.
The magistrate presiding over the matter, Her Worship Rosemarie Afua Asante subsequently granted Apostle Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie and Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie Junior bail to the tune of GHC 10, 000 with two sureties each and are supposed to reappear in court on Thursday, 26th March, 2020.
Other pastor granted bail
The general overseer of Truth to Heaven Ministry, Apostle Moses Daganu Ametepe and five of his Church members who were arrested for also holding a church service at Dompoase-Aprabon in the Ashanti region on Sunday, have been granted bail to the tune of GHC 10,000 with two sureties each.
The other members are Eric Anim Acheampong, Richard Addai, Richard Domfe Mensah, Johnson Kwame and Rexford Agyei.
During the court proceedings, the magistrate, Her Worship Rosemarie Afua Asante, asked the prosecution to amend the charge sheet to include the restrictions bill which was recently passed into law.
The case has been adjourned to Thursday, 26th March, 2020.
