Social media instigator trial adjourned to June 24

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 June 24.

When the matter was called, the Prosecution led by Sergeant Frederick Sarpong said it has filed its disclosures at the Court’s Registry.

However, defence Counsel Mr Yaw Dankwah said he was yet to receive the disclosures.

The court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh directed the prosecution and the defence counsel to go to the registry so that the matters concerning the receipt of disclosures could be resolved.

Amedegbe is currently on bail in the sum of GHC100,000, with two sureties.

The Court ordered that one of the sureties must be a public servant earning not less than GHC1,000 cedis a month.

The 24 year-old security man, aka Don Dada Bless, is facing charges of assault on a public officer and false Communication, contrary to Section 76(1) of the Electronic Communication Act, 2008 (Act 775).

He has denied the charges.

Amedegbe is said to have taken the action because he believed the global pandemic was a hoax.
The case of the prosecution was that the complainant was an operative of the Bureau of National Communication, National Security; whiles Amedegbe resided at Maamobi.

Sergeant Sarpong said in April this year, after the President announced the restriction of movement 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 the accused consequently, incited the public to rise up against the President and set his house ablaze.

Amedegbe, in his self-made video, also incited the public to kill any police officer executing COVID-19 duties.

He said on May 12, this year, Amedegbe, who was being tracked, was arrested.

The Prosecution said in his investigative cautioned statement the accused admitted having made and circulated the misleading video on his WhatsApp and YouTube platforms.