“Dr.” Jonathan Ohene Nkunim
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nature’s Hand Therapeutic Centre, one “Dr.” Jonathan Ohene Nkunim has been arrested by the Police following a sexual assault report by investigative journalist Manasseh Awuni, of TheFourthEstate.
The suspect who describes himself on social media as “a doctor by profession and a gosple [sic] minister by calling,” was caught on video raping some female clients who had visited his facility for medical attention.
The video also revealed how he connived with state officials to acquire fraudulent certificates from the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC).
The TMPC in response to the report said it had given Jonathan Ohene Nkunim and his facility two licences. The TMPC said it gave him a licence as a “Herbal Medicine Practitioner” and “that of his facility as an Indigenous Facility. “The two licences would expire on 30th May 2021,” the letter signed by the TMPC director of administration, Nelson Menorkpor, said.
“According to our records, T/Dr. Ohene Nkunim is not a Doctor of Alternative Medicine but a Herbal Medicine Practitioner,” the letter emphasised.
On the scope of practice authorised by the licences, the TMPC letter said “he can only work generally on a patient using traditional medicine.”
However, the expose indicated that checks with the Odorkor Divisional Police Command, which oversees the operations of the Gbawe Police, also revealed that three suspects were being investigated on the same case.
According to the police, their investigation had revealed that an individual named Hilary took GHc3000 from Jonathan Ohene Nkunim as the fee for the licence. (Ohene Nkunim later said he paid GHc3,500 to the secretary of the association.)
Hilary then paid one Anthony Agyapong of the TMPC GHc1000 to process the licence. Anthony Agyapong, in turn, paid GHc750 to the TMPC as the official charge for the licence, which was processed and printed out for Ohene Nkunim.
The disputed license was duly signed by the registrar of TMPC, Torgbuiga Yaka IV. But the licence that was issued to Jonathan Ohene Nkunim by the TMPC, had the same serial number as the one that had been issued to another alternative medicine practitioner named Dora Ntiamoah, a female, leaving a contention over who was issued the fraudulent license.
After being cautioned on the charge of rape and taking witness statements, including one from his victim.
Put before the Kaneshie District Court, “Dr.” Akunim was charged with rape and was denied his bail plea.
Video Credit: Manasseh Azure
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri