Tema rapist doctor fined

Nicholas Kwame Woode, the 34-year-old man who is standing trial for allegedly raping a 22-year-old student, has been slapped with a fine by a Tema Magistrate Court for impersonating as a medical doctor attached to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

The culprit, who resides at Middle East, an Ashaiman suburb, was asked to pay a fine of 40 penalty units (GH¢480) or in default, serve six months in jail. In addition, Woode has been ordered to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for a year or in default, go to jail for two years.

He earlier pleaded guilty to the charge of pretending to be a public officer in the court presided over by Eric Adjei.

Nicholas, who surprised the court with his admission that he works at Hamwood Company Limited—a pharmaceutical company which supplies medical apparatuses and drugs to health institutions and schools—for the first time, came to court in a healthy condition without any complaint.

The convict had given conflicting claims that he was a surgeon and also a paramedic at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital when he was apprehended by the police for allegedly raping the student; but they all turned out to be untrue.

His admission that he was not a medical officer came as a surprise to most people in the court and the magistrate, who did not hesitate to find him guilty on his own plea, deferred the sentence to a later date.

Nicholas Woode further explained that his dedication to duty as drug supplier earned him the title ‘doctor’ from his clients.

Inspector Nana S. Otchere, presenting the facts of the case on July 15, 2014, said the self-acclaimed doctor, a friend of the vic­tim, was alleged to have lured the lady to his residence in the evening at Middle East, Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region, where he purportedly forcibly had sexual intercourse with her.?A police medical report form was issued to the victim who attended the Tema General Hospital for a check-up after report­ing the matter to the police.

The medical report showed that the victim suffered swelling in the right thigh and groin, coupled with some discharges from the private parts and a torn hymen.

The Domestic Violence and Vic­tim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Tema Regional Police Command ini­tiated investigation into the alleged rape scandal which had attracted much attention in Tema and its envi­rons.

The fake doctor, who allegedly had unprotected sex with the lady, admitted the offence during police interrogations but had been granted police enquiry bail.

Inspector Otchere further stated that on July 18, 2014, the accused, during investigations, told DOVVSU at the Tema Regional Police Command that he was a medical doctor. Police investigations into the matter established that the accused was not a medical doctor.

Prosecution told the court that on July 30, 2014, police wrote a letter to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to ascertain whether the accused was an employee of the health facility.

On August 8, 2014, prosecution received a response from the health centre endorsed by a certain Dr David Ntim, Acting Director of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, distancing the health facility from Nicholas Woode, who had told the court that he was a paramedic’s specialist of the facility.

Police interrogated the accused person who admitted the offence of impersonation in his caution statement before he was charged with the offence and arraigned before the court.