Controversial Preacher Bishop Daniel Obinim has been transferred from the Tema Police to the CID headquarters for further interrogations in a GH¢11.6 million fraud case.

Bishop Obinim spent the entire day at the premises of the Tema Regional Police who have begun investigations into an earlier case of how he flogged two of his church members.

In the latest case, the Tema Police arrested him for defrauding under false pretense.

According to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) PRO, ASP Joseph Darkwa, a complainant came to the Tema Police some few weeks ago to report that he gave an amount of GH¢780,000 to Okomfo Gyapata of Mampong Nkwanta near Koforidua in the Eastern Region to do a spiritual ritual to bless the money obtained from gold proceeds.

"According to the complainant, after some time, he realised that the Okomfo was not able to help him neither was he able to give him back his money, so he came to Bishop Obinim to report the matter so the Bishop would help him retrieve the money and do the rituals to bless the money for him," he said. 

ASP Darkwa said it was based on that that Bishop Obinim asked him to bring the rest of the gold money which amounted to GH¢11.6 million belonging to the family.  

The complainant told the police since he gave the money to the Bishop, he has not been able to do what he was expected to do neither was he given back his money. 

The complainant said he gave the money to Okomfo Gyapata on November 28, 2015, but the money he gave to Bishop Obinim was in June this year. 

The CID PRO told Joy News' Dzifa Bampoh on Newsnite that the complainant has not lodged a formal complaint against Okomfo Gyapata as yet but if it becomes necessary that they have to involve him they would do so. 

"We have just commenced investigations into this issue when we finish we will hand him over to Domestic Violence Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) to investigate the domestic violence issue," ASP Darkwa said. 

Related: Tema Police issue 24-hour ultimatum to Bishop Obinim to report

A video of the man of God flogging two people he purports to be his step children went viral on social media recently, drawing widespread criticism.

The criticism notwithstanding, Bishop Obinim has defended the action insisting they deserved it for engaging in fornication and attempting an abortion.

A private legal practitioner Irene Aborchie filed an official complaint with the police to investigate the issue. 

Tema Police PRO ASP Juliana Obeng told Joy News that last week Friday, the Tema Police Command, through its DOVVSU department sent a letter to the Bishop to report to their offices for questioning but he failed to honour the invitation. 

"He reported this morning and we spoke to him and have cautioned him on physical abuse...he has been taken to the national headquarters CID for further questioning. Meanwhile, his two other pastors who were seen in the video have also been cautioned except that the third pastor is yet to report," she said.

Members of the church who were waiting for him to lead service at the Tema Community 9 branch were disappointed as the junior pastors thronged the police station to register their disappointment upon seeing him handcuffed into a police car to be transferred to Accra. 

However, when Joy News contacted the communications team of Bishop Daniel Obinim they declined comment on the issue. 

Watch the video of his arrest