Wife Of Rabih Haddad Crying At The Court Premises
“What if she (a state attorney) doesn’t come tomorrow, what will happen? Will she come tomorrow?”
Those were the questions that the wife of Rabih Haddad – a Lebanese national in police grips for allegedly raping his 19-year-old house help – kept asking an Accra High Court and his husband’s lawyer when she realised her husband would not be granted bail.
The woman broke down in tears when the court was informed that the case prosecutor and the state attorney handling the case were both absent.
It turned out that the woman and her four-year-old son, in the absence of her husband, had been thrown out of their home.
It is however unclear why she was evicted from the Airport Hills abode and her husband’s lawyer could not provide any further information on the issue.
Even after the case had been adjourned, Haddad’s wife could not control herself as she wept bitterly, thereby attracting some staff of the Judicial Service, who came to the corridors to catch a glimpse of what was happening.
Rabih Haddad, a month ago, was remanded into police custody after an Accra Central District Court had denied him bail because it did not have jurisdiction over the matter, and directed his lawyer to apply for bail at a superior court.
His lawyer, Ralph Poku Adusei, subsequently filed an application for bail at an Accra High Court (Criminal Division), presided over by Justice Kofi Dorgu.
In his application, he argued that his client is a subject of victimisation as he is being addressed as ‘Lebanese rapist.’
He told the court that the defence team had raised an alibi and prayed the court for bail.
The application was, however, opposed by the Attorney General’s Department in an affidavit.
The defence lawyer was expected to move his application yesterday but was unable to do so because the state attorney in-charge of the case was indisposed and was seeking medical care at the hospital.
Former Attorney General, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, who was holding brief, claimed that she had called the prosecutor and prayed the court to adjourn the matter to today, January 9, 2018, to allow the prosecution to be available.
This did not go down well with lawyer Ralph Poku Adusei, who claimed it was a deliberate attempt by the prosecution to delay the case, thereby keeping his client in custody.
He prayed the court to allow him to move his application, arguing that the presence of the former AG – who was holding brief – was enough for the case to be heard without the prosecution.
Mr Poku Adusei said his client was arrested in December last year and had been kept in custody beyond the stipulated period, adding that his client’s rights were being infringed upon.
The presiding judge, Justice Dorgu, however, declined hearing of the matter in the absence of the prosecution and urged Lawyer Opoku Adusei to exercise patience.
He therefore adjourned the case to today.
Background
Rabih Haddad was dragged before court for rape contrary to Section 97 of the Criminal Offences Act 29/60. His plea of not guilty was not taken.
He was arrested on December 3, 2017 after a complaint had been lodged at the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service and the Airport Police for allegedly sexually molesting his house-help.
He is said to have consistently harassed the lady (name withheld) and insisted on having sex with her but she reportedly kept rejecting his sexual advances towards her.
He purportedly managed to forcibly have sex with her on November 30, 2017 when his wife was not at home; and the victim reportedly confided in her co-worker, but both initially kept the matter to themselves for fear that they might lose their jobs.
By Gibril Abdul Razak