Serbian Priest threatens female journalist

(IPI/IFEX) - Vienna, 2 February 2010 - The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), strongly condemns the threat made by the Serbian Orthodox priest Bogdan Simanic against the Serbian journalist Aleksandra Delic, a correspondent for the Serbian newspaper Vecernje Novosti.

Delic was threatened on 1 February 2010 by Simanic over her critical reporting about the owners of Glas Podrinja. Simanic, who is a co-owner of the Serbian weekly, posed the threat by telephone when talking to another journalist, and said, translated into English: "You can tell her I will break her legs when I see her! She will remember who Priest Bogdan is."

SEEMO Secretary-General Oliver Vujovic said: "SEEMO strongly condemns the threat against Delic. As the Church plays an important role in moral development within society, SEEMO urges the Serbian Orthodox Priest Bogdan Simanic, as a Church representative and moreover as a co-owner of a weekly himself, to respect freedom of expression and opinion, and not to threaten journalists for exercising their right to freedom of speech." Vujovic added: "It is essential that journalists are able to report freely and without fear of intimidation or harassment so that they can carry out the vital activity of informing the public."

http://www.ifex.org/serbia/2010/02/03/delic_threatened/

Pastor brutally assaults woman

A GWANDA woman escaped death by a whisker when she was brutally assaulted by a pastor during a cleansing ceremony.
A pastor from Zion Church of Christ (ZCC), John Gochani (65) of Betsa area pleaded not guilty to assault, but was convicted by Gwanda resident magistrate Mr Takudzwa Gwazemba.
He was sentenced to 105 hours of community service at Betsa Primary School.
In his defence Gochani told the court that it was their church’s belief to assault patients when driving away evil spirits.
When he was asked whether the evil spirits had gone, he said they had not, but were going to be driven away after another assault if she had not reported the matter to the police.
The prosecutor, Mr Mazwi Goto, told the court that on 10 February, the complainant, Mrs Gugu Nzima (45) went to Betsa ZCC congregation where she was referred to by a pastor from Garanyemba.
She was sent there for a prayer session since she was not feeling well.
Upon arrival Gochani asked the complainant why she was there and she said her pastor had referred her to the congregation.
She then handed him a letter from the pastor.
Gochani then ordered a female church elder to take the complainant to a place where the prayer session was to be conducted.
On arrival she was told to take off her clothes except for the bra and panties.
Gochani later came and started assaulting Mrs Nzima with a switch and she sustained serious injuries as a result.
The matter was later reported to the police, leading to his arrest.

http://www.zimdiaspora.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3497:pastor-severely-assaults-woman&catid=73:music&Itemid=299

Pastor beats woman infront of police

A Pastor who quarrelled with a woman and assaulted her in front of the Kade Police District Headquarters was on Thursday arraigned before the Kade District Magistrate's Court.

Herbert Adom Danquah, the Pastor, is charged with unlawfully assaulting Esther Frimpomaa.

In the dock with the Pastor was Linda Oforiwa, a seamstress and daughter of Frimpomaa, who was said to have gone to defend the mother and was charged with an act tending to disturb the peace.

Whereas the pastor pleaded guilty with explanation to the two counts, Oforiwa also pleaded guilty with explanation to the charged she faced.

However, the Magistrate, Mr Abdul Majid Iliasu, entered a plea of not guilty for them, granted bail of GH¢ 800 with one surety to the Pastor, while the seamstress had a GH¢ 600 bail with a surety.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector Francis Asare-Cobbina said Oforiwa was a seamstress at Boadua while Danquah was a Pastor of the Baptist Church in Kumasi .

He said Oforiwa's mother, Frimpomaa, had instituted a civil suit against the Pastor over a plot of land, which was pending before the Magistrate's court at Kade.

Inspector Asare-Cobbina said on December 16, last year, Frimpomaa and the Pastor accompanied by their followers appeared before the court over the issue and after the close of proceedings, the two parties exchanged insults.

On reaching the roadside just in front of the District Police Headquarters the Pastor hit Frimpomaa on the face with a fist which sent her sprawling on the ground.

He said Oforiwa, seeing that her mother had been knocked down, rushed to lift her up and in the process, a confrontation ensured between her and the pastor and they fought.

Inspector Asare-Cobbina said their action drew the attention of the police and other members of the public adding that the Police had no option but to arrest them.

Counsel for the Pastor, Mr Agyapong Baah, said the facts adduced by the prosecution were "chocked with inaccuracies" and that the trial would make that evident.

Mr A. Y. Nyarko-Adu, who said he was a friend of the Court, asked the court to discharge Oforiwa for she only went in to save the mother, which was legally right.

http://www.modernghana.com/news/259516/1/pastor-beats-woman-in-front-of-the-police.html