'PROBE AFFAIRS AT MOZANO HEADQUARTERS (PAGE 34)

Members of the Musama Disco Christo Church have appealed to the government to set up an investigative machinery to probe events that have led to some unfathomable harassment of church members at Mozano in the Central Region by some public officials.
They also called for investigations into the affairs of the church’s headquarters at Mozano.
At a press conference in Tema, the concerned members declared that all legal issues had been cleared and in March 2006 the Agona Swedru High Court ruled to affirm a decision of the Executive Committee of the church to dismiss Miritaiah Jonah Jehu–Appiah as the Akaboha III of the church.
The court also declared Miritaiah’s mother, Mathabinaih Jehu–Appiah as not having any administrative or executive powers to become the leader of the church.
Addressing the press conference, a member of the church, Mr Frank Acquah, on behalf of the entire membership of the church, explained that the church, founded in 1922, had practised a monarchial system of government with its leader referred to as Akaboha.
He told the press conference, which had representatives from all the regions, that in November 2002 a report carried by a newspaper implied that the Akaboha III had allegedly engaged in a scandalous act that tarnished the image of the church.
Mr Acquah stated that as a result the executive committee of the church set up a committee to investigate the allegations and in the interim suspended the Akaboha III from office.
He said the church set up a three-man interim management committee (IMC ) made up of the most senior officers who worked with the Akaboha III over the years.
Mr Acquah said they were the Senior Superintendent Minister, the Superintendent Prophet and the Abusuapanyin of the church.
He said some had misrepresented the actions of the church and claimed ‘the church was bequeathed to the Akaboha III by his father as his personal property”, adding that “he was above scrutiny, reproach or the law”.
Mr Acquah said the executive of the church held a contrary view and did not accept that the church was the property of any individual under which circumstances he noted the church decided not to condone reprehensive behaviour or to support a leader who refused to submit himself to legitimate investigations.
He indicated that this decision by the church led to Akaboha III’s “alleged manipulative factionalising” within the church and its resultant confusion.
Mr Acquah said the Musama Disco Christo Church remained one entity and would not permit any opposing factions to exist in it.
He cautioned all persons who out of misinformation used their positions to obstruct directives to rather help to bring meaningful changes in the church. Mr Acquah alleged that some public officials had turned against the church and were unable to tolerate the church and its current leadership.
He claimed that influence of followers of the dismissed leader seemed to wield over some public officers especially the police and therefore appealed to them to adhere to fundamental principles of justice and reason with them.
Mr Acquah called for peace to prevail and urged the police to desist from deploying several armed policemen to the Musama community, which had about 500 residents.
Documents that accompanied the petition to the Inspector General of Police and judgements in the case at the Agona Swedru High Court, which set the records straight, were circulated at the press conference.