The trial of Sergeant Emmanuel Duah, now 47, only began in 2023, two years after he lured a 14-year-old girl into a newly built police post and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her.
The incident happened at Ave-Xevi in the Akatsi North District in September, 2021.
The convict is a police officer who was on duty at a police barrier few meters away from the victim’s residence.
According to the victim’s Aunt, at about 3:30 pm that day, the young girl had gone to fetch rain water collected in a basin right in front of the newly constructed police post but was cynically dragged into the room by the police Sergeant.
The victim was later spotted in a nearby cassava farm at about 5:45pm and was taken home for interrogation since the Aunt, with whom she stays had earlier gone searching for her upon her return to the house from the community but could not find her (victim).
The Aunt upon hearing the narration from the girl, proceeded to the Ave-Dakpa police station to lodge a formal complaint and was given a medical form to ensure the victim was examined and treated.
But several months after the incident, the police went silent on the issue prompting EIB Network’s Faisel Abdul-Iddrisu to make follow up to the Divisional Command at Sogakope.
The reporter would later pursue the case with a Right to Information (RTI) request to the Regional Police Command and also, the office of the Attorney General to push for the prosecution of the convict.
Prosecution
Prosecution finally began in February, 2023 after the police officer was charged with the crime of defilement.
The prosecution led by Ms Enyonam Letsa, an Assistant State Attorney, told the court that upon the initial complaint from the victim’s Aunt, Duah was arrested but was later granted a police enquiry bail.
The court heard, that on October 12, 2021, the police visited the crime scene at Ave-Xevi, where the girl led investigators to the room where the accused had sex with her, and demonstrated how he carried out the act on her, on the floor.
The prosecution told the court that, during interrogation, Sergeant Emmanuel Duah told investigators he only held the girl’s hand and touched her breast, but denied having sex with her.
Sergeant Emmanuel Duah, who appeared in court the first time, though two hours late and without a counsel, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
He was however, granted bail in the sum of GHC50,000 with two sureties.
But upon full trial that lasted more than a year, the Ho Circuit Court presided over by His Honour Felix Datsomor, found the Sergeant Emmanuel Duah guilty of the charge.
The court on Tuesday, 26th March 2024, sentenced him to a 12-year jail term in hard labour.
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