Austrian tourist jailed

AN Accra Circuit Tribunal on Wednesday sentenced a 58-year-old tourist from Austria to a year's prison term for having carnal sex with a young man.

Manfred Itzinger pleaded guilty to unnatural carnal knowledge.

Francis Obeng, 38, a driver, who was in the dock with Itzinger, pleaded not guilty to abetment of crime and was remanded in prison custody to reappear on January 19.

Police Inspector James K. Adu told the tribunal, chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Anderson Yebuah, that the complainant is a 26-year-old unemployed who feigned interest when the accused proposed having sex with him.

Inspector Adu said Itzinger then requested the complainant to accompany him to his house, where they met Obeng, who also convinced the complainant to agree to the proposal.

But the complainant suggested they rather meet at his house at Christian Village in Accra.

He then hinted his friends at home who planned to take photographs when Itzinger arrived at the house and also to get him arrested.

According to the prosecutor, Itzinger bought some alcoholic beverages for the complainant to get him drunk and while in the room, stripped himself naked and also undressed the complainant.

Just as the convict was about to penetrate, the complainant made a noise to attract his friends who entered the room, which had been closed but not locked and quickly took some photographs, Inspector Adu said.

He said when Obeng had information about what had happened, he gave the complainant ?100,000 and ?50,000 each to his two friends to forget the incident.

He said after collecting the money, the complainant and his friends printed the pictures and subsequently reported the matter to the police. Itzinger and his host were thereafter arrested.