ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S DEPT TAKES OVER CAPE VARS STUDENT'S CASE (Page 50)

Story: Joe Okyere, Cape Coast

THE Attorney-General's Department has taken over the prosecution of a Level 400 student of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), George Kusi-Adjei, 25, who is standing trial at a Cape Coast circuit court for defiling an eight-year-old primary two girl.
Kusi-Adjei pleaded not guilty when he first appeared before the court presided over by Mr Justice Beresford Acquah on January 16 and was granted bail. The case was adjourned to Wednesday, January 30.
The court, however, could not sit due to rehabilitation works on the premises and the case was therefore rescheduled for Monday, February 4.
However, Monday's hearing was done at the judge's chambers in order to protect the identity of the girl.
According to the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Augustine Amonoo, the accused, a non-resident student of the UCC, resides at the Capital 02 Hostel at Kokoado, which is located behind the house of the victim's parents.
Chief Inspector Amonoo said the victim's strange behaviour whilst urinating on December 30, last year, aroused the suspicion of the aunt and when she questioned the little girl, she told her that Kusi-Adjei had inserted his fingers into her vagina on so many occasions within that month.
The victim told the aunt that anytime Kusi-Adjei bought iced water from them, he asked her to send it to his hostel and that it was on one of those occasions that he forcibly had sex with her.
Chief Inspector Amonoo told the court that a medical report from the UCC Hospital confirmed that the little girl had been penetrated and that Kusi-Adjei, who was on holidays in Sunyani, denied the offence when he was initially contacted on phone about the victim's claim.
He said a complaint was lodged with the Police Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit and on January 5, this year, Kusi-Adjei and his mother, accompanied by a pastor, travelled from Sunyani to Cape Coast to meet the victim's parents during which he again denied the offence.
He said Kusi-Adjei later admitted the offence after a meeting with the medical officer of the UCC Hospital, who examined the girl and pleaded that the case should be settled out of court.
He said it was in the process of settlement that the police, who had been alerted, moved in to arrest the culprit.
When the case came up for hearing again on Tuesday, February 5, Mr Anthony Wiredu, Principal State Attorney, told the court that the Attorney-General's Department had taken over the prosecution and that the police had been notified in a letter dated January 14.
Mr Wiredu said since he was in Accra on Monday, he could not be present at the sitting.
At the time of going to press, the next date for hearing was yet to be fixed.