Sodomised student speaks today

The 16-year-old senior high school student in the centre of the sodomy trial of Dr. Sulley Ali Gabass – the senior medical officer at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi - is expected to give evidence in the trial today.

This was after the prosecutor, DSP Aiden Dery, had told the court that the victim was not in court because of his condition.

According to DSP Dery, the victim was in the care of the social welfare department as a result of his condition.

But the trial judge, Mrs. Rita Agyemang Budu, wondering when the accused intended to produce the victim, said the court was ready to move to wherever the victim was in order to take his evidence.

She therefore, asked the registrar of the court to put things in order so that the court could be moved to where the victim was based for his evidence as well as that of the complainant.

Mrs. Agyemang Budu said she had on two occasions heard the case in camera because she thought the victim was about to give his evidence.

Serving notice that the public might not be wanted in the event of moving the court to wherever the victim was, the presiding judge of the Gender-Based Violence Circuit Court adjourned the case to today.

Mrs. Agyemang Budu nonetheless, told the prosecution to produce the victim to commence the trial because the court would be hearing the case on daily basis.

DSP Dery prayed the court for a week’s adjournment so they could prepare fully for the trial as well as prepare the victim.

According to DSP Dery, they needed to conduct some investigations before the trial commenced.

Francis Sosu of the Human Rights Advocacy Centre held brief for the victim and the complainant.

Nii Kwei Amasah, counsel for Dr. Gabass, said he was happy the court was going to start the trial expeditiously.

The court has again remanded the suspect into prison custody.

Dr. Ali Gabass has been slapped with a two-count charge of defiling a child under 16 years and unnatural carnal knowledge – an offence he has denied.

He is said to have in the months of October 2013 and April 2014 at Kasoa and Alajo respectively had unnatural carnal knowledge of the victim, aged 15.

The police prosecutor said during the month of September 2013, the victim met the suspect on Facebook and became friends, chatted online and communicated on phone for a while.

According to the prosecution, during the month of October 2013, Dr. Gabass arranged and met the victim at Kasoa New Market area where he forcibly had anal sex with the victim in his car in front of the Kasoa HFC Bank.

During police interrogation, Dr. Gabass admitted knowing the victim as a friend, but denied having anal sex with him.