Accra, June 13, GNA- Two persons, who allegedly sodomised a 13-year-old boy at La, a suburb of Accra, have been put before the Gender-Based Violence Court (GBVC) at the Police headquarters.
Francis Agyei Okpoti, aka Cecia, a 21-year-old Mason and Emmanuel Mensah Lartey, a 29-year-old driver’s mate, have been charged with two counts of defilement, each.
The accused persons have pleaded not guilty before the court presided over by Mrs Abena Amponsah.
They have been granted bail in the sum of GHC50,000 with two sureties each.
The court ordered that the sureties must have properties worth the bail sum.
The accused persons are to reappear on June 29 for Case Management Conference.
Prosecuting Chief Inspector Simon Terkpor said the complainant, a 51-year-old driver, was the father of the victim, and that they resided at La, Accra.
The accused persons, the prosecution said, also resided within the same area and that Okpoti’s house was adjacent to the complainant’s house.
It said he (Okpoti) had been sending the victim on errands.
The prosecution said on August 15, 2022, during the day, Okpoti sent the victim to go and buy him sachet water and on his return, the accused had gone into his bathroom and asked the victim to bring the water to the bathroom and the victim obliged.
It said Okpoti then pulled the victim by hand into the bathroom, pulled down his shorts to the kneel level and had anal sex with the victim in the bathroom and asked the victim not to inform anyone.
The prosecution said in September 2021, Okpoti followed the victim to a public toilet at La and again had anal sex with him.
According to the prosecution, on February 28, this year, in the evening, Lartey met the victim at the La Melcom area where he was selling sachet water and drinks.
It said Lartey lured the victim into one of the classrooms of a public school at La and had anal sex with him.
The prosecution said the complainant in March this year had information from the victim’s sister through a teacher that the victim had been sexually abused.
When the complainant asked the victim, he mentioned the names of the accused persons.
It said a report was made at the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit and the complainant was given a Police medical form to seek treatment at a hospital for the victim.
The accused persons were later arrested by the Police.
GNA