Pastor accused of making abusive online remarks granted GH¢100,000 bail

The founder of the Emmanuel Army Church, Emmanuel Appiah—popularly known as Appiah Biblical—has been brought before an Accra Circuit Court over allegations that he circulated offensive and false statements targeting well-known preacher Dr Isaac Owusu Bempah.

Appiah faces two counts: offensive conduct likely to breach the peace and publication of false news. He pleaded not guilty.

Following a bail application, the court admitted him to GH¢100,000 bail with three sureties, and ordered state prosecutors to provide all required disclosures to the defence. The matter will resume on 30 December 2025.

Prosecutors recounted that on 4 September 2025, the complainant flagged a video that had gained widespread traction on platforms such as YouTube. In the footage, Appiah is said to be captured making claims and remarks directed at Rev. Owusu Bempah that the prosecution describes as abusive, inflammatory, and capable of disturbing public order.

The comments reportedly originated from a livestream hosted by the accused, after which he allegedly redistributed both the audio and visuals through various social channels, including a YouTube page named “SourcetubeTv.”

A police report was subsequently filed, leading to Appiah’s arrest.

Investigators told the court that digital copies of the recordings had been secured and subjected to forensic capture. The Ghana Institute of Languages assisted in producing verbatim transcripts of the content to support the prosecution.

The case remains under active consideration as the parties prepare for the next hearing.