General News of Friday, 17 July 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

I never dated Sawla NHIA boss - Sexual assault victim

National Health Insurance Authority Director for  Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District Mr Mahama Sakara play videoNational Health Insurance Authority Director for Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District Mr Mahama Sakara

Miss Doreen Smith, the nurse at the centre of the sexual case against the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Director for the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, Mr. Mahama Sakara, has refuted reports that she was in an amorous relationship with the man.

Nkilgi FM, a local radio station in the Savannah region reported that it was a known news in the Sawla community that the victim and NHIS boss were lovers.

However, speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb, Miss Smith refuted the claims purported to justify why the NHIS boss sexually assaulted her whiles at post at the Soma CHPS Compound.

"I condemn whatever they are saying. It is never true. Please even if I'm dating him, my colleagues or the community in which the man is coming from can even testify. You can't date a man and people around you will never know. Ever since, I was posted, I have never dated him.

Even when you listen to the recording, he said he had been following me for a very long time. I never invited the man to my house. The man came to the facility early in the morning. It was at the consulting room. When the incident happened, I reported him to the community assembly man and their chief," she told GhanaWeb today July 17, 2020.

She reiterated that even if she was dating the said Mr. Sakara, he had no right to sexually assault her.

"Even If I'm dating him, or married to him, he has no right to force me to bed. He is with my colleague, why on earth will I also want to be in a relationship with him? I never accepted him."

Miss Smith revealed to GhanaWeb that, this was the second time the NHIS boss had stormed the facility to assault her. She reported the case to the Assemblyman, Chief and the Police because she was concerned about her safety.

"This is the second time, I didn't want it to happen the 3rd time. That was why I reported the case."

She therefore is challenging persons alleging that she was dating the Mr Sakara to come publicly with their facts and evidence.

"I want the person who is saying that, Alhassan or whoever it is to come out boldly. Please tell them, if anybody says Im dating the man, when we get to court, the person should come."

Meanwhile, on the allegations that she was extorting money from residents, she has dared anyone with prove on that, to meet her in court.

"If anybody says I'm extorting money, when we get to court, the person should come there and also come and proof that yes, this is what Doreen was doing. I respect myself a lot, this is not the first time, the man (NHIS Boss) did this."

Miss Doreen Smith has informed GhanaWeb, that she has since left the Sawla Community after the incident solely for sanity and safety reasons.

Background

Doreen Smith, a nurse working with the Soma CHPS Compound in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District has petitioned the NHIA to investigate Mahama Sakara, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Director for sexually assaulting her.

The nurse indicated that Mr Sakara had come to her CHPS compound under the guise of monitoring but turned around to make sexual advances at her.

She said that even though he did not succeed in having sex with her, the NHIA boss succeeded in fingering her in the process of struggle.