Jesus One Touch Freed

Prophet Yirenkyi with Pastor Kumchacha (2 left)

On Tuesday, when he emerged from the 12 foot high gate of the Nsawam Prison, Prophet Nana Kofi Yirenkyi aka Jesus Onetouch dropped to his knees in uncontrollable tears.

It was not exactly clear whether the tears were that of joy or tears of remorse. Whatever the reasons, his teeming supporters took a cue and joined him in his emotional outpour of tears.

The beleaguered preacher looked physically drained by the harsh conditions of the famed prison.

His predicament started in 2010 when he was accused of defiling his 10-year-old daughter. This charge has been vehemently denied several times by the troubled preacher.

http://www.dailyguideghana.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/one_touch_2.jpg He told media men that he contemplated suicide while in jail because he was overwhelmed by the troubles at the prison but changed his mind at the ninth hour.

An entourage of supporters escorted him to town, and when he emerged, hundreds of people in Oblogo Manchester at Weija, a suburb of Accra, where his famous Jesus Blood Prophetic Ministry International Church is located, rushed out of their homes to catch a glimpse of the 'freed prophet'.

In a landmark ruling, Jesus Onetouch was jailed by a circuit court about a year ago (after being held for almost one year in remand). His case made interesting headlines in the media and considering the countless controversies that have embroiled preachers in recent times, Onetouch's case topped public ratings.

Onetouch was accused of incest- number one taboo in Ghanaian society, but had indicated that he was framed up.

'May God curse me with all the gloom and afflictions that I experienced in jail if I really slept with my daughter,' he wailed.

Meanwhile, he said he held no grudge against people who masterminded his incarceration, including the mother of his daughter, the judge and people who testified against him in court.

http://www.dailyguideghana.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/one_touch.jpg Jesus Onetouch was given a 10-year jail term but he was lucky enough to be left off the hook after just two years. Apparently, the evidence against him could not be proven beyond all reasonable doubts. There had been two medical examinations on the girl who was allegedly defiled and none of those two medical investigations correlated; one medical examination disproved the possibility of defilement, while the other suggested a possible sexual exploitation.

Human rights groups have alleged that state prosecutors were negligent in their evidence gathering task, leaving Justice Emmanuel Dzakpasu in an Accra High court no choice but to overturn the earlier ruling of a lower court that sentenced Jesus Onetouch to 10 years in the gulag.

Justice Dzakpasu, who delivered the judgment that earned Jesus Onetouch his freedom, stated that the evidence presented by the state prosecutors was not sufficient for the Accra Circuit Court to hand Jesus Onetouch  the 10-year jail term.

By: Raphael Adeniran