Scandalized by the story of the 12-year-old boy who was sexually assaulted by a man said to be his nephew, media baron, Freddy Blay, on whose property the child rape took place, reportedly promised offering ¢50 million to the victim’s mother to kill the case, since it will embarrass his Daily Guide newspaper when it is made public.
Christine Lorlonyo Zonyra, mother of the boy called Senyo, told The Herald that a journalist of Daily Guide, by name Rocklyn Anthonio, came to her as an emissary of Mr. Blay, and pleaded with her not to pursue the matter with the police because Mr. Blay has said that the perpetrator named as Ohene, was his man, and that he was ready to offer ¢50 million for the boy’s treatment.
However, one Mr. Gati, a church member of hers and also the leader of the cell she belongs to in the church, said to her that “this is not a matter of ¢50 million” and insisted that the sodomy case “must be reported to the police for them to do their work to punish the perpetrator to serve as deterrent to potential offenders”.
When The Herald talked to Rocklyn Anthonio, a journalist from Daily Guide, she gave an account which clearly revealed that the ex-First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Blay, had not been truthful with the media when he claimed that he does not know the suspected homosexual.
According to her, when the matter was related to Mr. Blay, he conceded knowing Ohene, but expressed disgust and disbelieve at the story, saying how could Ohene who has a wife and three children do such a thing? The reporter, however, denied having told the victim’s mother that Mr. Blay was promising her ¢50 million to drop the case.
Instead, it was Madam Zonyra who had begged for a paltry Gh¢50, which was being demanded by officials of the Ridge Hospital, to enable her to process the police medical form on the defilement of her son.
Ms Anthonio, who said she has worked with Mr. Blay’s company for the five years, said that she then approached Mrs. Gina Blay for the Gh¢50, but she refused to give out the money, saying that it would amount to conceding that Ohene had something to do with Daily Guide newspaper.
Mr. Tony Zonyra, an uncle of the victim, also told The Herald that Mr. Blay had admitted knowing Ohene, before him and a policeman, as somebody who came from his Constituency, Ellembelle, for some assistance in terms of money, to support a social event taking place there.
Mr. Zonyra said Mr. Blay told them that he gave Ohene Gh¢300.00 for the event, and that was all he had to do with Ohene, also a friend to one Bonsu who is the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Ellembelle Constituency.
A pensive-looking Christine Lorlonyo Zonyra, who came to the offices of The Herald, said that it is difficult for her to believe Mr. Blay’s claim that he does not know the anus raider (Ohene), because aside the ¢50 million promise delivered by Rocklyn Anthonio, about three months ago, she saw Ohene and Mr. Blay in hearty chat near the Nima Police Station.
This was after the runaway pedophile, Ohene, in the company of two others, came to her to buy roasted yam, and whilst sitting on a bench to eat the yam, Mr. Blay appeared from the Daily Guide office to see someone off, and immediately Ohene got up indicating to others that, that was his uncle and that he needed to speak with him.
“And so he went up to Mr. Blay and they had a hearty chat”, said the victim’s mother who has since abandoned her plantain roasting business to push the police to intensify their probe in having Ohene, the child rapist, arrested.
Christine Lorlonyo Zonyra, a widow and a mother of three boys, recalled that on the day of the incident, Ohene came to buy a roasted corn from her, and left without paying her. She said she sent her son after him to remind him that he had not paid for the corn, but he snubbed the boy.
According to her, later in the evening, she asked her son to take over the roasting of the plantain so that she could go home and prepare some supper for the family.
She said after preparing the supper she was very tired, and fell asleep, only to be woken up in the night by the victim, presumably after ten o’clock, complaining that his anus was hurting.
Her son then told her that Ohene had defiled him via the anus, and that he was standing just outside the door, and so he should not raise her voice because he (Ohene) told him, she was his next target.
Madam Zonyra said she gathered courage and stepped out of the room to find out that Ohene was really standing outside with a bicycle.
She said Ohene, upon seeing her, warned her not to make any noise else he would deal with her. Terrified, Zonyra said she quietly went back to the room to lie down, and after sometime, passed urine into a chamber pot which she pretended she was going to throw away.
She then took the opportunity to dash to the Nima Police Station to lodge a complaint. But upon her return with a policeman, Ohene had bolted with a clean pair of heels leaving behind one of the bicycles.
When asked what happened to him, the victim of the defilement said that Ohene came to him while he was packing up his mother’s wares, and commended him for being a very good boy.
Senyo said Ohene told him that it was because of him, being a good boy, that he had decided to reward him with two bicycles.
He said Ohene then asked him to follow him to see the bicycles. He then took him to a room which is part of Daily Guide’s property.
After inspecting the bicycles, a dumbfounded Senyo was asked by Ohene to follow him to another room- the bathroom – where he allegedly cupped the poor boy’s mouth with one hand, and with the other, undressed him and forcibly rammed his penis into his anus, in an in-and-out manner, accompanied with excruciating pains until a final hard thrust which saw him (Ohene) discharge a liquid believed to be semen, on him.
Confused and in pains, Senyo said he immediately headed home to narrate his ordeal to his mother, but Ohene then followed him and told him that his mother was the next to be subjected to his sexual savagery.
The act is said to have taken place in a property newly-acquired by Western Publications, publishers of Daily Guide, News One and a couple of other papers. The 12 -year-old defilement victim has two other brothers.
Their mother has lost their father and she is taking care of them all alone through the sale of roasted plantain, corn and yam.
Attempts by The Herald to speak to Mr. Blay was fruitless as his MTN phone number 0244345941, was off.
