Injunction against Methodist Church

Page 3: Daily Graphic, March 27, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE embattled Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, Rt Rev Kow Bosomefi Egyir, on Thursday obtained an interlocutory injunction against the church from holding its extraordinary conference.
The conference, which was to have deliberated on recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee’s Report on the alleged sexual misconduct of Bishop Egyir, was postponed after the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana, Most Rev Emmanuel Asante-Antwi, was served with the injunction.
The church has, however, applied to the Human Rights Court to set aside the injunction.
According to the reliefs sought by Bishop Egyir, the procedures adopted by the Disciplinary Committee were in violation of the church’s constitution.
Moreover, he (Bishop Egyir) was also not given an opportunity to be heard.
It was also the contention of Bishop Egyir that he did not know the complainant or who was complaining and what was being complained about.
Confirming the development in an interview, Most Rev Asante-Antwi said as a law-abiding institution, the church had to comply with the orders of the court.
He said the church, however, took the necessary steps thereafter and had accordingly applied to set the injunction aside.
He explained that as the highest decision-making body of the church, Conference would have to validate or nullify any recommendation by any sub-unit of the church.
Bishop Egyir, who is currently on suspension and holidaying in the United States of America (USA), is alleged to have sexually misconducted himself by allegedly raping the 23-year-old daughter of another high-ranking member of the church.
The alleged victim, a student in a tertiary institution in Ghana, was alleged to have been sent by her father to deliver a parcel to the bishop when the incident allegedly took place.
Bishop Egyir was summoned to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the church by February 3, 2010.
He was suspended after he had allegedly admitted before a pastoral committee set up to investigate the matter that he had misconducted himself sexually.