Indian national granted GH¢20k bail in defilement case

An Indian man is facing a circuit court in Bekwai in Ghana’s Ashanti Region for sexually assaulting and impregnating a 15-year-old girl.

Jassy Singh, 22, who works as caretaker of excavators in a mining firm at Manso Atwere in the Amansie West District, has since been granted a GH¢20,000 bail with two sureties.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Stephen Ofori told the court that the accused person lured the victim and had sex with her after a conversation between her friend who understands English Language liaised between the two.

The Prosecutor said the victim’s mother, Adwoa Mansah on December 7, 2020, reported the matter to the police after her attention was drawn to the development.

The suspect was later arrested and subsequently arraigned before the court.

A medical report prepared by the police is still awaiting endorsement as prosecutors say the victim who is three months pregnant and her mother are not cooperating with police investigations, the court heard.

Singh is facing the court on counts of defilement and could be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and not more than 25 years, according to Ghana’s Criminal Code.

Meanwhile, the age of the victim is being challenged by lawyers of the accused person as they maintain their client is not guilty.

“This is a defilement case, and there must be proof, a medical report establishing that there has been a sexual intercourse. Upon that basis, the prosecution can proffer a charge… As you can see, the victim was not in court, the parents were not in court and it is the prosecution that has made a case and obviously the court deems it inappropriate for the prosecution to take up this matter without the cooperation of the victim and the accused person. And obviously, these are indications that in reality, nothing happened. And there is no medical report confirming that there has been sexual intercourse apart from the police telling the court which we cannot rely on that”, Counsel for the accused person Samuel Aryeh Agyei told dailymailgh.com.

“We have a problem with the age of the victim. We believe that the victim is above 15 but that is another issue for the court to determine”, he added.

The court presided over by His Honour Mark Diboro Tairima Esq., has since adjourned the case to March 31, 2021.