Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 3 March 2020

Source: GNA

Court revokes painter’s bail in defilement case

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An Accra Circuit Court on Monday revoked the bail granted to Clifford Ahzia, a 22-year-old painter, who is accused of defiling a female between the ages of 15 and 16 years in a bathroom at Power land, near Adenta.

The court presided over by Mrs. Christina Cann said Ahzia only appeared in court after it had issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

Ahzia had earlier been granted bail in the sum of GHC5,000 with three sureties by the court presided over by a different judge.

The new judge, Mrs. Cann, now the new trial judge admitted Ahzia to fresh bail terms in the sum of GHC60,000 with two sureties one to be justified for the accused to reappear on March 9 for case management conference.

The court said that the title deed of the property for justification should be deposited at the Court’s Registry till the final determination of the matter.

According to the court, since Ahzia was admitted to bail he has failed to attend court until a bench warrant was issued.

The case as presented by Detective Sergeant Opoku Aniagyie, who held the brief of Superintendent of Police Adolphine Dzansi, was that the complainant is a trader residing at Adenta with the victim whose age is estimated between 15 and 16 years and a class five pupil.

Prosecution said Ahzia resides at Kasoa in the Central region and on November 5, 2018, Ahzia in the company of two others came to the complainant’s house at Adenta to work as labourers to trim trees on her
compound for three days.

He said on November 8, 2018, at about 1400 hours Ahzia after trimming the trees told the victim to fetch him a bucket of water and place same at the bathroom.

The prosecution said when the victim brought the water to the bathroom, Ahzia dashed there locked the bathroom door and had sex with her.

He said after the act Ahzia threatened the victim and told her not to disclose the incident to anyone.

The Prosecution said on that same evening, when the complainant came home from work the victim narrated her ordeal to her.

The prosecution said on November 9, 2018, a report was made to the Police and the accused was arrested and a medical report form issued to the complainant to seek medical care for the victim and she did.

Prosecution said an age determination test was conducted by Dr. Francis Ofei, a Senior Specialist Radiologist at the Ghana Police Hospital and it came out that the victim could be between 15 and 16 years old.