Crime & Punishment of Saturday, 3 February 2018

Source: ghananewsagency.org

Circuit Court discontinues Indian sexual assault case

The A-G has directed that the matter be heard at the Tarkwa High court The A-G has directed that the matter be heard at the Tarkwa High court

The Attorney General has directed the Tarkwa Circuit court to discontinue the case involving an Indian who was alleged to have indecently assaulted a two-year-old girl.

The A-G has therefore requested for the docket and directed that the matter be heard at the Tarkwa High court.

The accused, Sai Yeluri, 28, had earlier pleaded guilty with explanation to the offence and the court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Bart-Plange Brew granted him bail in the sum of 40,000 Ghana cedis with two sureties.

He was also asked to hand over his passport to the registrar of the court.

Prosecuting earlier, Chief Inspector Faustina Celestina Anaman, told the court that, on January 1, this year, at about 1500 hours, the victim's mother, Francisca Mensah, a businesswoman at Tamso went to the Nsuta swimming poolside of the Ghana Manganese Company with her daughter to have fun.

She said the accused, who is not a staff of Ghana Manganese Company, Nsuta and his friend Karthik were also enjoying themselves at the poolside.

She said the accused and his friend then went for the victim and another girl and offered to teach them how to swim.

Chief Inspector Anaman explained that while Sai and his friend were swimming in the pool with the girls, Francisca decided to video them and later went for the victim and returned home.

The Prosecution said the next day when the complainant watched the video, she noticed that the accused had inserted his finger into the victim's vagina.

She said Francisca informed the Nsuta Police and a medical report form was issued to the victim.

Dr Joseph Darko of Apinto government hospital examined the victim and endorsed the medical form which was returned to the police on the same day.

The Prosecution said all efforts made by the police to download the video from the complainant's phone failed.

On January 5, Chief inspector Anaman said the accused was arrested but he denied the offense.