The Dansoman Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul Baasit, has granted bail to a 44-year-old mechanic, Isaac Amo, who pleaded not guilty to charges of indecent assault, contrary to Section 103(1) of the Criminal Offenses Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Amo is alleged to have assaulted a nine-year old girl between the year 2009 and 2012. Charges were read and explained to the accused in Twi, to which he pleaded not guilty to indecent assault.
Counsel for the accused applied for bail, invoking Article 19(2)(c) of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
The defense argued that the accused is a permanent resident of Ghana, residing at Awoshie, Accra, and is gainfully employed as a mechanic.
The Counsel also indicated that the accused is married with two children and has two individuals ready to serve as sureties.
The prosecution did not oppose the bail application. The court granted bail to the accused in the sum of GH¢30,000.00 with three sureties.
Two of the sureties must be public servants living within the court’s jurisdiction, with one required to justify their financial standing.
Brief Facts of the CaseÂ
According to the prosecution, the complainant who is a nurse residing in the United States, alleged that the accused indecently assaulted her daughter between 2009 and 2012.
The complainant left the victim, now 23, and her siblings to be educated in Ghana.
During this period, the prosecution claimed that the accused repeatedly molested the victim at the complainant’s residence in Gbawe, Accra, including inappropriate touching and acts of sexual abuse.
The court was told that the accused took advantage of the victim and indecently assault her by touching her inappropriately rubbing his penis on her body and putting same into her mouth until he releases.
These alleged acts continued until 2012, when the complainant returned to take her children back to the United States.
Years later, the victim reportedly began experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts, which she attributed to the abuse.
After confiding in her mother, she underwent psychological counseling in the U.S. before the matter was reported to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) in Odorkor.
The prosecution has been directed to provide witness statements and necessary disclosures to the court, paving the way for the case management conference to begin. The matter has been adjourned pending further proceedings.
