Private legal practitioner, Mr Kofi Bentil, has told Men of God who have a problem with the caution given to Pastors against the publication of doom prophecies that the caution did not say they should not prophesy.
Some pastors had expressed concerns about the caution that was given by the Police.
For instance, the founder and leader of Glorious Word Power Ministry International, Prophet Isaac Owusu Bempah appealed to the Inspector General of Police, COP Dr George Akuffo Dampare to invite men of God who believe in prophecies to give him what he calls satisfactory briefing on prophetic ministry.
Mr Owusu Bempah believed that the IGP issued the order against the publication of the death prophecies following briefing he received from Pastors who did not believe in prophetic ministry.
The Police had cautioned Religious leaders in Ghana to be measured in their utterances, particularly the way they communicate prophecies, ahead of New Year Eve’s services.
“We want to caution that under Ghanaian law, it is a crime for a person to publish or reproduce a statement, rumour or report which is likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public peace, where that person has no evidence to prove that the statement, rumour or report is true,” the police warned in a statement issued on Monday, December 27 2021.
“It is also a crime for a person, by means of electronic communications service, to knowingly send a communication that is false or misleading and likely to prejudice the efficiency of life saving service or to endanger the safety of any person,” the statement signed by Superintendent Alexander Obeng, the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, added.
“A person found guilty under these laws could be liable to a term of imprisonment of up to five years.”
Friday’s services across the nation was the first since Inspector-General of Police Dr George Akuffo Dampare took office.
He had met religious leaders over prophecies deemed to cause fear and panic in the nation.
That meeting was precipitated by a fake gun attack on popular musician Shatt Wale, who had later indicated he took that action as a result of a prophecy by the Founder and Leader of New Life Kingdom Chapel, Bishop Stephen Kwesi Appiah, on an Accra-based radio station before the Monday, October 18 incident.
The man of God, popularly known as Jesus Ahuofe, was arrested and later granted a GH¢100,000 bail.
The police admitted that they are not against prophecies especially in a country where the centrality of God is in the live of many.
“There should be no apprehensions, therefore, about undertaking the various activities.
“We ask only that everyone keeps within the law and is mindful of the welfare of each other.”
But Rev Isaac Owusu Bempah said during his 31st night preaching on Friday December 31 that “I will like to appeal to the IGP that if he needs briefings on the prophetic ministry he should invite some of us, not pastors who do not believe in prophecies,”
Commenting on this development, Mr Bentil who is also Vice President of Imani Africa said “Dear OSofoIGP hasn’t said don’t prophesy ooo. Just make sure it is not illegal!!If it’s illegal it is NOT prophesy it’s crime.
“If your problem is that your prophesy is potentially illegal then please your Bible says the Spirit of the Proohet is subject to the Prophet so exercise order!! For God is not the author of confusion !!You cannot have a problem with a caution to do what’s right!!”
