Court to hear Amina's case from November 15

Accra, Nov. 9, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday fixed November 15 for hearing the case of the alleged robbery and mass rape on an Accra-Bolgatanga bus.

Due to the prosecution's failure to appear in court when the case was called at 0830 hours, it adjourned the matter and said it would sit on November 15, 22 and 25.

However, Mr Andy Appiah Kubi, counsel for the accused person, Amina Mohammed, said he was not happy about how the matter had been discussed in sections of the media and appealed to media practitioners to stop any further discussions since the matter is in the court.

Amina, a hairdresser, who is at the centre of the story of mass rape, was last Friday granted bail by the Human Rights Court (Fast Track Division) in the sum of GH¢5,000 with one surety and asked to appear before a lower court for trial to commence.

She had earlier on November 2, appeared before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Mrs Patience Tetteh-Mills, charged with publication of false news with intent to cause fear and panic and deceit of public officer.

Amina has pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against her. The case of the state is that Amina lives at Ashaiman, near Tema. On October 11, she and her mother boarded an Accra-Tamale-Bolgatanga bus with registration number GN 263-10 to attend a funeral. The prosecutor said Amina alleged that on their way, they were attacked by armed robbers at Kubiasem, near the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service barrier before Ejisu in the Ashanti Region. She claimed that the armed robbers compelled the men on the bus to rape the women, adding that a man who was travelling with her 14 year-old daughter was made to defile his daughter. This allegation, the prosecutor said, was reported to a radio station and thereafter several radio stations took up the story and published it thereby causing fear and panic. When the driver of the alleged bus was contacted, he told the police that on October 11, he left Accra with 47 passengers for Bawku through Tamale and Bolgatanga.

He said at about 2200 hours he saw a road block mounted by robbers but he drove through it.

He lodged a complaint at the Ejisu Police Station and continued the journey to the various destinations. Police investigations confirmed that there was an attempted robbery at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region. 09 Oct. 10