Case of man on trial for instigating public on social media over COVID-19 measures adjourned
The case of Bless Amedegbe, the man who instigated the public on social media to burn the house of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and also kill Police officers enforcing COVID-19 measures has been adjourned to September 24.
This was after Mr Yaw Dankwah, the defence counsel had prayed an Accra Circuit court for a shorter date to enable him go through documents served on them by the prosecution.
According to Mr Dankwah it would also enable them to either object or accept some of documents of the prosecution.
The court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh granted defense counsel’s prayer and adjourned the matter.
Amedegbe has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢100,000, with two sureties.
The Court ordered that one of the sureties must be a public servant earning not less than GH¢1,000 a month.
The 24-year-old security man, aka Don Dada Bless, is facing a charge of and assault on a public officer as well as False Communication, contrary to Section 76(1) of the Electronic Communication Act, 2008 (Act 775).
He has, however, denied the offences.
Amedegbe, is said to have taken the action because he believed the global pandemic was a hoax.
At the previous sitting, Detective Sergeant Frederick Sarpong told the Court that the complainant was an operative of the Bureau of National Communication, National Security; whiles Amedegbe resides at Maamobi in Accra.
Sergeant Sarpong said in April this year, after the President announced the restriction of movements order in the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi Metropolitan areas, Amedegbe took video shots of himself and circulated same via YouTube and WhatsApp Platforms, inciting the public to defy the President’s Executive Orders on the lockdown.
The Prosecution said the accused described the President’s social distancing directive as a result of the COVID-19 as ‘a hoax’, claiming the President was going to allow telecommunication companies to install 5G network, which would cause deaths.
According to the Prosecution, he consequently, incited the public to rise up against the President and set his house ablaze.
He said Amedegbe, in his self-made video, also incited the public to kill any police officer executing COVID-19 duties.
The prosecution said on May 12, this year, Amedegbe, who was being tracked, was arrested.
He said in his investigation cautioned statement, the accused admitted having made and circulated the misleading video on his WhatsApp and YouTube platforms.
Source: GNA