Man, 33, jailed 12 years for doping and raping

Kumasi, Dec.19, GNA- A 33-year-old driver's mate who doped and raped a 28-year-old woman at Barekese in the Atwima Nwabiagya District has been jailed for 144 months. Kwaku Dua, also a farmer who admitted the offence was convicted on his own plea.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Comfort Baffour-Kyei told the Court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo-Yartey that, convict, victim and victim's mother (complainant in the case) all lived at Barekese. On November 17, this year, at about 16 hours, victim innocently went to the aid of Duah who was carrying two bunches of plantain from his farm as he passed in front of her house.

Prosecution said, on their way to Dua's house, apparently in appreciation of victim's act of kindness, Dua bought a quantity of local gin (Akpeteshie) to offer to victim. On reaching Dua's house, he gave some of the gift to his victim, who gulped it down her throat without suspecting that the stuff had been laced with a sedative. She then felt drowsy immediately and convict took advantage of her helplessness to rape her.

At about 18 hours that same day, the complainant was informed that, her daughter had been camped in Dua's room. On December 12, 2008, Dua was spotted at a drinking bar by the chairman of the neighbourhood Security Committee where he was arrested and handed over to the police. In his caution statement, he admitted the offence but denied adding sedative to her drink.