Court defers sentence of Businessman to Sep. 16

An Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday deferred the sentencing of one Eric Henry Kwofie who was said to have defiled a 13 year-old girl at Asylum Down to September 16.

The court, presided over by Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, deferred the sentence after the accused who defended himself ended its case.

Eric pleaded not guilty to the charge and was taken through a full trial. The prosecution presented three witnesses, the complainant, the victim and the investigator who gave their evidence and were cross examined by the accused person.

He was remanded to reappear on September 16 for judgement.

The facts of the case as presented by Police Inspector Kofi Atimbire are that the complainant is a trader and lives at Adabraka, while the victim is a class six pupil and lives with her grandparents as well as the complainant who is her aunt.

He said the convict is also a businessman who lives in the same house with both the complainant and the victim.

The prosecution said somewhere in July at about 1930 hours the convict approached the victim with the request to accompany him see another co-tenant at his work place at Circle, which the victim declined but later followed him after he persuaded her.

He told the court that, Eric who drove the victim in his car gave her Coca Cola to drink on their way after which she fell asleep and therefore did not know where she was taken to and what happened to her afterwards.

Police Inspector Atimbire said the victim only woke up and noticed they were on their way home at about 2100 hours, where Eric gave her GH? 20.00 after dropping her off somewhere in the area.

He said the next day, the victim who felt some pains in her lower abdomen reported the matter to her grandmother who told her it might be her menstrual period which was not.

The following week at about 1930 hours, the convict approached the victim again with the same request, lured her to Time Square Lodge at Asylum Down and had sexual intercourse with her after which he warned her not to tell anyone of her ordeal, else he would kill her. He again dropped the victim off and gave her GH? 20.00.

According to the prosecution, after some time, the complainant noticed some physical changes in the victim. She became alarmed and when she questioned the victim, she refused to talk.

He said on August 20, the complainant asked another auntie of the victim to find out from her, what was wrong with her as the changes became more obvious as if she was pregnant.

Police Inspector Atimbire said upon questioning, the victim mentioned Eric’s name as the one responsible. The complainant then conducted a pregnancy test on the victim and the result proved positive,

He told the court that the complainant then reported the matter to the police. The victim was taken to the hospital, was medically examined and a report was submitted to her.

Eric was later arrested and charged with the offence.