Tabloid News of Wednesday, 3 March 2004

Source: Chronicle

Bishop in sex scandal

The General Overseer of Gospel Light International Church, Bishop Addai-Mensah who has been accused of committing adultery with a female pastor of the Church, has described the allegation as a fabrication.

?I swear that if for the 15 years of my calling by God, I have ever engaged myself in any adulterous act in this church, let the Lord close His eyes on me,? the Bishop told The Chronicle in defence of the charge by a member of the church choir and husband of the female pastor, Mr. Kwamena Ofori.

But Ofori insists that the Bishop and his wife, Pastor Ewura Afua Agyare had an amorous affair. ?If he claims otherwise please bring him and let me meet him face to face because I don?t defend myself when the person is not around so that I can say anything point blank?, a distraught Ofori told this reporter.

He declined to make further comments, saying this was a private matter between his wife and the bishop.

The Chronicle?s information was that Bishop Addai-Mensah had been seen several times with the lady pastor in her bedroom at odd hours under the guise of conducting deliverance.

It was also said the bishop and Pastor Agyare were spotted by Ofori at the Kotoka International Airport on their return from a trip to the United States and was at one time given ?a sound beating? by the suspicious husband.

Bishop Addai-Mensah confirmed that Mr. Ofori had confronted him and his wife, over his alleged relationship with Ms. Agyare.

Dilating on the issue, Bishop Addai Mensah said the allegations started, when Mr. Ofori, accused his wife of flirting as a result of which he had been assaulting her.

He said, ?In fact since he was a senior in the choir I always rebuked him whenever he assaulted his wife.?

This did not go down well with Mr. Ofori who began to suspect him for having an affair with his wife, he added.

?Mr. Ofori one day attacked my wife so seriously that she bled and so I reported his behavior to the police and he later apologized for his misconduct since he could not prove that I was having an affair with his wife?.

Bishop Addai-Mensah denied that Pastor Agyare was sacked from the church, saying she left on her own to establish her own church due to the continuous harassment by Mr. Ofori who had promised that he would go to every length to stop her wife from attending the church.

Touching on the trip to USA he explained that, it was a co-incidence that they both happened to be on the same flight to Ghana.

He said he was not aware that Ms Agyare had booked the same flight.

Pastor Afua Agyare has also denied all the allegations leveled against her and the bishop.

She said she left the church for a personal reason and declined to react to any further questions on the matter.