Elorm Cofie Cudjoe, a 35 year old banker with the Sawla branch of the National Investment Bank (NIB) has been arrested for allegedly defiling a 14 year old girl(name withheld) at Sawla in the Sawla Tuna district of the Savannah Region.
The accused has been arraigned before the Tamale Circuit Court presided over by William Twumasi Appiah and remanded into police custody to reappear before court on September 23,2021.
The accused has been charged with defilement but pleaded not guilty to the charge in court.
The Sawla Tuna Kalba Police Commander, ASP Adjei Degraft-Armah, who confirmed the arrest to DGN Online said on September 12,2021, the victim was sent by her parents to go out and sell vegetables and till Monday September 13, 2021 she had not returned home.
According to him, the victim’s parents reported the matter to the police and investigations about her whereabout commenced.
He indicated that the police had a lead that the victim’s sandals was spotted at the entrance of the accused person which prompted the police to storm the NIB bank and requested for the release of the accused for investigations.
The police escorted the accused to his house and the victims was spotted on the bare floor looking weak and sick.
ASP Adjei said the victims told police that she was on her way to school three months ago when the accused called her and lured her into his room and had sexual intercourse with her.
The Sawal Tuna Kalba Police Commander, said the victim told the police that on September 12,2021 she was on her usual rounds selling her vegetables when the accused called her to his house and had sexual intercourse with her and refused to let her go back home.
“She was sent to the Sawla hospital and the doctor confirmed that her hymen was broken and there were bruisers around her private part.”
“She fainted at the court yesterday because she was traumatized and weak and she was taken back to the hospital and the doctor confirmed that she is physically strong but medically weak.”
The Mother of the Victim, (name withheld) told DGN Online that the victim is traumatized which has greatly affected her.
She called on the police and the court to ensure that the accused is jailed to serve as a deterrent to others.
“I want the court to jail him so that others will know that they cannot do that to under aged girls, as this happened, we are going round from hospital-to-hospital spending lot of money. Currently she is weak lying down and always crying that she is feeling pains in the abdomen.”
The victim’s mother appealed to the police to charge the accused with kidnapping because he locked the victim in his room for three days without food and water.
“A grown-up man with wife and children what are you doing with a 14 year old girl and kidnapping her for good three days in your house without food and water and locking her inside the house so he should be jailed and charged for kidnapping with the defilement.”
FROM Eric Kombat, Sawla