Emmanuel Kwesi Dawood
The girl believed to be the biological daughter of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Central Regional Communications Director, Emmanuel Kwesi Dawood, who is standing trial for incest, has started giving evidence and sharing the harrowing experiences she allegedly went through in the hands of her father.
The witness, Rita Arhin, confirmed to the Cape Coast Circuit Court A that the accused is her biological father who had several consistent sexual encounters with her.
Kwesi Dawood is before the Cape Coast Circuit Court A over allegations that he had sexual intercourse with his biological daughter and impregnated her, and also caused the fetus to be aborted.
He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of defilement, incest and assault.
Remand & Bail
On Thursday, October 14, Kwesi Dawood, 40, was remanded to reappear until October 27 by the court presided over by Her Honour Dorinda Arthur-Smith.
He subsequently secured a bail on Thursday, October 21, at the Cape Coast High Court presided over by Justice Kwasi Boakye.
The High Court granted GH¢50,000 bail with three sureties who shall be public/civil servants living and working within the Cape Coast metropolis, and was also ordered by the court to deposit his passport with the registrar of the court.
Charge Sheet
At the Circuit Court, Count One of the charge read: Defilement of a female child contrary to Section 101(2) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, and said Dawood had sexual intercourse with his daughter, Rita Arhin, in 2019.
For Count Two, Dawood was charged with incest, contrary to Section 105 (1) of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and the offence, the prosecution said, was committed against Rita Arhin in 2019 at Agona Swedru in the Central Region.
Count Three is for assault contrary to Section 84 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and the offence was that Dawood on August 27, 2021, at Agona Swedru, unlawfully hit and stepped on the abdomen of Rita Arhin, his daughter.
Cross-Examination
One Wednesday, October 27, when Kwesi Dawood appeared before the Circuit Court, his counsel cross-examined the witness who insisted that the father was having sexual intercourse with her and she even became pregnant at one point.
The victim cum witness said in 2019, Dawood lured her into his matrimonial home and informed her that he wanted to replace his love for her mother with her since their love could not last long.
The victim said she declined a proposal to date him, but the accused ignored and forcibly had sexual intercourse with her in his matrimonial room at Agona Swedru and revealed that their last sexual act was in the month of June, 2021 at Agona Swedru.
Promises Galore
“After the act, my father promised to send me abroad only if I did not disclose the ordeal to anyone, but if I did, he would make my life very miserable,” the witness told the court.
“In 2020, I got pregnant but my father took me to Atta Mensah who is his friend to abort the pregnancy and I informed the school counsellor about it,” she said.
The witness stated that when the accused heard she had informed the school counsellor, he attacked and subjected her to severe beatings, but she managed to escape.
The case has been adjourned to Tuesday, November 2 for continuation.
Official Complaint
The Prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Daniel Gazor, had told the court that the accused was reported by Mavis Ayite, mother of the victim, for allegedly having sex with his daughter multiple times, leading to a pregnancy.
He was alleged to have contacted a quack doctor, who performed an abortion on the girl, the Prosecutor said.
ASP Gazor said a petition submitted by the victim’s mother to the Central Regional Police Command, said Dawood had allegedly engaged in the act since the girl was 15 years.
According to the petition, the victim, who could not bear the pain of the father’s actions anymore, on Friday, August 24, 2021, confided in her school’s Housemaster, the Prosecutor said.
The Housemaster then invited the girl’s grandmother to the school and informed her about her ordeal and they reported the case to the police, ASP Gazor added.
Crime Scenes
Sources say as part of the investigation into the matter, the CR DOVVSU police officers have taken the victim and her mother to the scenes where the girl is claiming Kwesi Dawood had sexual intercourse with her.
One of the scenes was a house in Mempeasem in Cape Coast where Kwesi Dawood has a two bedroom apartment and the girl was able to show the police where the accused was allegedly having sexual intercourse with her.
Sitting continues on November 2.
By Emmanuel Opoku, With Additional Files From GNA