By Daniel Bampoe
In a growing effort to combat the spread of fear-mongering and misinformation, the Ghana Police Service has arrested and charged a 46-year-old pastor for allegedly publishing false news that popular dancehall artist, Shatta Wale, would be assassinated.
The pastor, identified as Reverend Daniel Yaw Donkoh, made headlines after a video of his prophecy claiming that “a group of men” would murder the award-winning musician went viral on TikTok.
According to the prosecution, the video not only went viral but has also left Shatta Wale, known in private life as Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jnr, and his management team traumatized and gripped by fear for their lives.
Reverend Donkoh was arraigned before the Dansoman Circuit Court in Accra on Monday, July 28, where he was formally charged with one count of publication of false news, a criminal offence under Ghanaian law aimed at curbing harmful and unverified information dissemination.
During his appearance in court, Reverend Donkoh pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The presiding judge granted him bail in the sum of GH¢20,000, with three sureties—one of which must be justified. He has also been directed to report to the police biweekly as investigations continue.
The case has been adjourned to August 27, 2025.
This development echoes a similar incident from October 2021, when Shatta Wale staged a fake shooting incident in response to a similar “death prophecy” by another pastor.
That hoax led to his arrest and detention, sparking national conversations about the legality and societal impact of doom prophecies and celebrity-targeted predictions in the religious landscape.
