General News of Wednesday, 29 January 2003

Source: GNA

British Expatriate Accused Of Sodomy

The Police are investigating a British Expatriate, John Dinning for allegedly engaging in Sodomy. This follows a report by 23-year-old William Ali of Ho, the Volta Regional capital that he had been practicing sodomy with Dinning for the past three years at a fee of 200,000 cedis a session.

Ali is presently being treated for gonorrhoea he allegedly contracted through sodomy with Dinning, who works with Great Lakes Company, engaged on the Keta Sea Defence Project.

Ali made the disclosure when he appeared before the Aflao Circuit Court on Tuesday charged with practising unnatural sex, which is against the laws of Ghana. His plea was not taken and he was remanded in Police custody till February 4.

Great Lakes Security Personnel at the company's residential camp near Weta arrested Ali for unlawful entry at about 1.10 pm on January 18, this year, and handed him over to the Keta Police. During interrogations, Ali alleged that he was at the camp at Dinning's invitation and that he had been visiting the expatriate for sodomy.

Ali was taken to the Keta Government Hospital where it was confirmed that he had gonorrhoea.

A source at the Keta Divisional Police Command told the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday that the Police had written to the British High Commission in Accra to get Dinning released for questioning.

The source said this is the second time Dinning has been accused of practicing sodomy and that on a previous occasion the Police discontinued investigations on instructions from the Attorney General's Department for lack of evidence.

Ali reportedly told the Police that he had been a friend of Dinning since he met him in Accra while selling magazines about three years ago. He alleged that Dinning invited him to Wheta to give him a job but on his arrival he engaged him (Ali) in the practice of sodomy.