Rabih Haddad
Police investigators handling the suspected rape case involving Lebanese national appear to be getting through with the case, as a DNA test on a 19-year-old house help who was allegedly raped by her Lebanese employer in his Airport Hills residence in Accra, gives a glimmer of hope to the accused.
An earlier lab report obtained from the Police Hospital dated December 3, 2017 according to DAILY GUIDE sources, had indicated that sperm was found on the lady.
Subsequently, further swabs were taken for forensic laboratory test to ascertain whether the sperm was that of Rabih Haddad’s, but it has turned negative, clearing the way for the possible freedom of the Lebanese, who has been under police custody at the Ridge Hospital.
DAILY GUIDE has gathered that the result of the forensic DNA test indicates that no sperm was found on the victim (name withheld), sharply contradicting the earlier Police Hospital report.
According to the DNA report titled, ‘The Republic Vrs Rabih Haddad,’ Lab No. DNA 66/17, “The virginal swab cuts reacted negatively to the test of human semen. Based on the DNA analysis, the suspect Rabih Haddad, can be excluded as a contributor to the DNA profile obtained from the Exhibit.”
The DNA report, a copy of which is in possession of DAILY GUIDE, states in its conclusion, “The victim, name withheld, is the sole contributor/source of the DNA profile generated from the Exhibit.”
The question that is yet to be answered is what could have caused the differences in opinion over whether or not there was sperm on the victim?
According to reports, the fluid taken from the girl might be virginal discharge.
The Lebanese has been in custody since December last year when he was arrested and his lawyer, Ralph Poku Adusei, has been praying the court to grant him bail.
He is to return to court today to press for his bail application.
An Accra District Court had earlier declined him bail because it did not have jurisdiction over the case, directing the defence counsel to apply to the high court.
He subsequently did it but his application was strongly opposed by the Attorney General’s Department, which insists that the accused must remain in custody while the case goes to trial.
Mr Ralph Poku Adusei averred that his client was suffering from cardiac cell damage – a heart condition which he said would not allow his client to be confined.
According to him, if the court denied the accused person bail, the court risked trying a dead man.
He stated that the accused person, while in police custody, fainted and had to be rushed to the hospital by police officers.
Haddad has since been put on oxygen and DAILY GUIDE’s sources say his oxygen level is 90 percent, but he fainted any time the oxygen was taken off at the Ridge Hospital.
His lawyer has been telling the court that the prosecution is not certain why the police arrested him.
Mr Adusei said the defence team had raised an alibi and the police had still not investigated the alibi.
An Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Dorgu, has set today, January 15, 2018, to rule on the application.
By Gibril Abdul Razak