By Joyce Danso/ Emelia Nkrumah
Accra, Aug. 18, GNA –There was spontaneous joy at an Accra Circuit Court when two persons who were accused of sodomizing a 16-year-old boy at Madina were acquitted and discharged.
Clinton Adofo, a 39-year-old Coach and Daniel Arthur a 25-year-old Event Decorator, who were freed by the Court, were facing a charge of unlawful carnal knowledge.
The Court in its ruling following a submission of no case filed on behalf of the accused persons, held that “there was no evidence to prove that the accused persons had sex with the victim through his anus on October 11, 2021.”
The Court further held that the evidence adduced by the prosecution was so discredited as a result of cross-examination and same was manifestly unreliable that no reasonable tribunal could safely convict the accused persons.
“The evidence adduced by the prosecution failed to take the case out of the realm of conjecture and the evidence on record is best described as insufficient,” the court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann, held.
The accused persons who were represented by Mr Jerry Avernogbo and Mr Lord Delvin Essandoh filed a submission of no case after prosecution had closed its case. The prosecution, in all called four witnesses to make their case.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Simon Terkpor, narrated that the victim, aged 16, was a form two Junior High School student who lived with his mother at Madina, Accra.
The prosecution said Adofo and Arthur were residents of Madina and Adenta respectively.
The prosecution said on October 10, 2021, at about 2200 hours, the victim returned home from town and was denied access to the room by his mother, a witness in the case.
He said in view of that, the victim went to Adofo’s house whom he used to spend the night with.
The Court heard that the victim met the accused persons and told Adofo that he wanted to spend the night with him, which he agreed to it.
The prosecution said Adofo slept on the bed whilst Arthur and the victim slept on the carpet on the floor.
The Court heard that on October 11, 2021, at about 1230 hours, whilst the victim was deeply asleep, Adofo, in his nakedness went to the victim, pulled his panties to his knee level, applied a cream on his penis and the anus of the victim and allegedly had anal sex with him.
The prosecution said after Adofo was done, Arthur also applied the same cream on his penis and forcibly had anal sex with the victim after, which the victim asked the accused persons for a place to ease himself.
In the process, he sneaked out and reported the case to Madina DOVVSU.
The prosecution said the victim led a team of Police to the scene of the crime where the accused persons were identified and brought to the Police Station at Madina.
The Victim’s mother was issued with a medical report form to send the victim to a medical facility for examination.
The report was finally endorsed and brought back to the Police.
The prosecution held that the accused persons confessed committing the crime.
GNA