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Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 23 July 2024

Source: GNA

Radio presenter who confessed to defiling 14-year-old girl granted bail

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A popular Sunyani-based radio presenter who claimed to have had countless sexual encounters with a 14-year-old primary six girl was on Monday granted bail by a Fiapre Circuit Court in the Sunyani West Municipality.

For his bail condition, Bismarck Nana Poku Piesie, the accused person, was to provide four sureties, with two of them being justified with GH¢800,000 each.

Additionally, the court, presided over by Akua Adomah Addae, ordered the seizure of his (accused person’s) passport and asked him to report to the police every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 12:00 hours until the full trial of the case was over.

Failure to report to the police, the presiding judge warned, would result in the revocation of the bail condition, re-arrest, and remand of the accused person while on trial.

His plea was, however, not taken, and the case was adjourned till August 22, 2024, for a full trial to commence.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) learned the accused person was denied bail and remanded in police custody when he was arraigned before the court on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, on the basis that he (the accused) might interfere with police investigations.

However, when the case was heard on Monday, a three-member legal team for the accused person, led by Foster Kwasi Asante, prayed the court to grant their client bail.

Other members of the legal team include Barimah Agyekum and Lawrence Bright Adomah Apraku.

Prosecuting, Chief Superintendent Solomon Korli told the crowded court that the complainants were police officers from the Bono Regional Police Command, Sunyani.

On July 5, 2024, around 20:00 hours, a video of someone who took part in a live radio programme at Sompa FM in Sunyani was intercepted on social media in which the person is heard claiming to have had countless sexual encounters with one Maame Yeboah, aged 14 years.

According to the prosecution, the said Maame Yeboah was in Primary Six at Dormaa Ahenkro.

Chief Supt Korli told the court the police initiated investigations into the matter and identified and arrested the accused person, while the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) assisted the police in investigations.

In his investigation's cautioned statement to the police, the accused person admitted having uttered those words in the said video, however, added it was just a scenario he used to educate the public on the “Law of Karma.”

Chief Supt Korli said police investigations were still ongoing and prayed the court to remand the accused person again into police custody to assist in investigations.