The police say Patricia Asiedua aka Nana Agradaa and three others would now stand trial at the High Court for allegedly distributing visual recording of Prophet Emmanuel Appiah’s genitals without his consent.
According to prosecution led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Emmanuel Haligah, the Director of Legal and Prosecution, Superintendent of Police Sylvester Asare, has since withdrawn the matter from the Circuit Court.
ASP Haligah said the Police were mindful of the jurisdiction of the court in relation to the Cyber Security Act.
He said the Police were forwarding the case docket to the Office of the Attorney General for them to continue with the prosecution of the case at the High Court.
Prosecution said the High Court was the right forum for the adjudicating of Cyber Security offences.
The Circuit Court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah therefore discharged the accused persons.
Soon after Agradaa, founder of Heaven Way Champion Church Ministry and Charles Omane, aka One Gig, who were present, were escorted out of the courtroom by plain cloth police officers.
Agradaa was charged with non-consensual sharing of intimate image.
The three others have been charged with abetment of crime.
The three are Enock Owusu Kissi, Charles Omane and Kofi Gyasi. The Circuit Court admitted them to bail in the sum of GHS100,000 with three sureties each.
One Andy, accomplice, who is also facing a similar charge, is said to be at large. Prosecution said the complainant, Emmanuel Appiah Fomum, was a prophet residing at Teshie, Accra.
It said Agradaa was a lady pastor residing at Weija in Accra, while Enock Owusu Kissi, the second accused, was a media practitioner, residing at Weija and the third accused person, Charles Omane aka One Gig, was a businessman, residing at Nungua, Accra.
Prosecution said the fourth accused Emmanuel Kofi Gyasi was a Television (TV) presenter residing at Nungua and the fifth accused person, one Andy, was at large.
Sometime in the year 2020, Agradaa, the owner of a TV station known as Thunder TV, hosted a programme and intentionally showed naked pictures of the complainant on live TV and made mockery of him with all the accused persons who were panelists on the said programme.
Prosecution said the accused persons encouraged Agradaa to make mockery of the complainant in the process.
It said the programme was screened live on YouTube and Facebook where a witness in the cases saw it and informed the complainant about it.
Prosecution said Agradaa intentionally distributed intimate images of the complainant to a witness in the matter.
The complainant reported the matter to the Police and during investigations, all the accused persons, except Andy was arrested.
The prosecution said the Police retrieved the intimate images of the complainant which were shared and distributed by Agradaa.
It said during investigations, the recording of the programme on which the intimate images were shown, were retrieved by the Police and played back to all accused persons who identified themselves in the video of the programme hosted by Agradaa.