'Obinim was arrested for defrauding under false pretence'

Bishop Daniel Obinim

Controversial preacher Bishop Daniel Obinim has been transferred from the Tema Police to the CID headquarters for further interrogation in a GH¢11.6 million fraud case.

Bishop Obinim has spent the entire day (Monday) at the Tema Regional Police’s premises as they began investigations into an earlier case of him flogging two church members.

In the latest case, the Tema Police arrested Obinim for allegedly defrauding under false pretenses.

According to Public Relations Officer of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, ASP Joseph Benefo Darkwa, a complainant told the Police a few weeks ago he gave an amount of GH¢780,000 to Okomfo Gyapata of Mampong Nkwanta near Koforidua in the Eastern Region to bless.

The money was part of a larger family heirloom, which included gold.

"According to the complainant, after some time, the complainant realised that the Okomfo was not able to help him neither was he able to give him back his money, so he came to Bishop Obinim to report the matter so the Bishop would help him retrieve the money and do the rituals to bless the money for him," he said on Adom FM's Evening News 'Kasiebo is Naket' on Tuesday.

ASP Darkwa said Bishop Obinim asked the complainant to bring the rest of the gold and money totalling GH¢11.6m belonging to the family.

The complainant told the police since he gave the money to the Bishop, he has not been able to do what he was expected to do neither has he returned the money.

"We have just commenced investigations into this issue. When we finish we will hand him over to the Domestic Violence Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) to investigate the domestic violence issue," ASP Darkwa said.

The controversial pastor was invited by the police after he publicly lashed two young adults in his church. He was widely condemned after a video showing him whipping the two for fornicating surfaced.