Bawku (U/E), July 26, GNA - The Bawku Circuit Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a 22-year-old barber, Abunkrugu Abanga, who allegedly defiled a 15 year-old primary school drop-out. He was been granted 10 million cedis bail with a surety to be justified on his second appearance but failed to turn up last Friday, when the case was called.

The court presided over by Mr Nathaniel K.E Osam, had earlier on rejected an application for the withdrawal of the case by the girl's father and forwarded it to the Attorney General's office for advice. The father had explained that, he had given the girl's hand in marriage to the barber and there was no need prosecuting him. However, the presiding judge warned the father not to interfere with the court's proceedings.

The facts of the case as presented by ASP Paul Eklo was that, both the victim and the accused resided at Kpatia, near Garu, and on 10 June, they met under a mango tree where the girl and her junior brother had gone in search of mangoes.

He said after they had collected enough mangoes, the accused offered to give the girl a ride on his bicycle home but she refused with the excuse that she could not leave her brother behind.

However, Abanga convinced the girl that after taking her home he was going to go the brother too and she obliged.

On the way from a nearby stream, the accused offered to have sex with the girl and when she refused, he stripped her naked and forcibly had sex with her on the ground.

ASP Eklo said the shouts of the girl attracted her brother who rushed to the scene to see the Abanga on top of his sister and hit him with a stick. The barber then offered 2,000 cedis to the brother and asked him not to inform anyone about the incident, but when he refused the accused threatened that if they informed anyone about what had transpired, they would die. On reaching home, they informed their uncle who reported the case to the police, leading to the suspect's arrest.