Soldier discharged over alleged incest

Accra, Sept. 27, GNA - George Koffie, a 43-year-old military officer accused of allegedly defiling his 16-year-old daughter in a hotel room at La, Accra, which resulted in pregnancy, was on Tuesday discharged by an Accra Circuit Court. Koffie's wife Margaret Amoako, jointly charged with abetment of crim= e, was let off the hook.

When the matter was called, Mr George Asamani, Counsel for the accused= , told the court that due to some developments he would pray that the court retired into chambers.

The court presided over by Mrs Georgina Mensah-Datsa obliged and on completion of the matter in chambers discharged Koffie and his wife. However, reliable sources told journalists that the victim was now contending that her father was not responsible for the pregnancy rather it was one Moses who impregnated her.

It explained that the victim implicated her father because he did not favour their relationship.

Koffie denied the charge of incest and granted GH¢10,000 bail with t= wo sureties to be justified.

The victim's mother, who pleaded not guilty, was granted the same ba= il bond.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Sarah Acquah, prosecuting was that the accused was a military officer who lived with his wife and the victim, their biological daughter, a student.

She said between dawn and morning of June 3, the accused invited his daughter to town under the pretext of buying her shoes, but took her to a hotel at La and defiled her and after the act told her not to tell anybody or else would kill her.

The prosecutor said in the afternoon of the same day picked the victim with the intention to send her to Adukrom in the Eastern Region, but drove her to another hotel at La and defiled her again.

After the act, the accused took the victim to Tema Station to board a car to Adukrom and when the victim reached school, she called her mother an= d informed her about her husband's conduct. She said victim's mother told her not to inform anyone; in order not t= o bring disgrace to the family.

The prosecutor said when the victim went home, her mother beat her and locked her up in an attempt to prevent her from reporting the matter to the police but the victim later reported the matter to the police. She said the case was referred to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), the accused was arrested and a medical form issued t= o the victim. ASP Acquah said the accused was arrested but denied the offence.