Court grants bail to abductors

Sekondi, Sept. 27, GNA - A Sekondi District Magistrate's Court on Thursday granted 5,000 Ghana cedis (50 million cedis) bail each to Selastine Tornyigah 22, an auto mechanic and Francis Acquaye 21, unemployed for allegedly abducting a JSS two student. They pleaded not guilty and would re-appear on October 11. Prosecuting, Police Detective Sergeant Henry Gyebi said in the morning of July 16 this year, Tornyigah lured the victim into his room while she was going to school and prevented her from returning to her parents until July 31.

He said father of the victim who is herbalist at Jerusalem Town, a suburb of Kojokrom became worried when the victim did not return home from school and both parents started looking for her but to no avail. Police Sergeant Gyebi said Tornyigah was confronted as to the whereabouts of the victim but he denied having her in his custody. He said Tornyigah took the victim to Acquaye's house on the third night when they learnt that her parents were looking for her.

Police Sergeant Gyebi said the victim's father reported the matter to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit at Sekondi and Tornyigah was arrested but he denied having abducted the victim. He said on July 31, when Tornyigah finally released the victim, she went home and narrated her ordeal.

Police Sergeant Gyebi said the victim was taken to the police and was issued a medical report form to attend hospital. He said Tornyigah was arrested and during interrogation confessed that the victim stayed with him for a day and he defiled her. Police Sergeant Gyebi said a report from the hospital indicated the victim was pregnant.