Dutch battles for bail

Accra, Nov. 20, GNA - Defence Counsel for a 53-year-old Dutch, accused of having infected a hairdresser with the AIDS virus on Thursday prayed an Accra Regional Tribunal to grant him bail after being remanded in prison custody for about three months now.

Rudy Veindehoven, a Driver, tested HIV positive after the Court had advised him to undergo a voluntary test to ascertain his status.

Veindehoven is standing trial for intentionally causing unlawful harm to his girlfriend by infecting her with HIV/AIDS virus. He pleaded not guilty.

Mr Kwabena Mensah, who represented Veindehoven, told the Tribunal chaired by Mr Justice P.K Aggrey that it was against international convention to use the AIDS status as a way of punishing the accused person.

He argued that the victim knew of the accused person's HIV/AID status before she went out with him saying she knew one Dora, a friend to the victim, who died of the disease after befriending the accused.

Counsel debunked Prosecution's assertion that his client had earlier been deported and stated that Viendehoven was being tried on health grounds and not on extradition grounds.

Prosecuting Inspector Emmanuel T. Boison opposed to bail saying, "it was dangerous for the accused to be granted bail as other innocent Ghanaian women may fall prey to him".

Inspector Boison reminded the Court that it was still awaiting the Attorney General's response on the issue in order to proceed on the matter. The Court after listening to both submissions indicated it would consider the issues raised and rule on it on the adjourned date whether the A-G Department responded to the issue or not.

It, therefore, adjourned to November 27.

The case of the Prosecution was that the complainant resided at Sogakope in the Volta Region. Three years ago, Veindehoven met the complainant in Togo and promised to marry her.

Prosecution said Viendehoven told the complainant to acquire a passport that would enable him to take her to Holland and she obliged.

Occasionally, accused visited complainant in Ghana and lodged in a hotel with her.

The Prosecution said the accused had earlier on befriended the complainant's friend, who died in 1993 of AIDS.

Veindehoven claimed he tested HIV positive after the death of her girlfriend but was healed in 1995, with the hand of the Almighty God and tested negative in September last year.

The Prosecution said on September 8, this year, while the accused was in a hotel room with the complainant he asked her whether she knew that he had the HIV virus.

The complainant was astonished with the revelation and went for an HIV/AIDS test at the Police Hospital, where she tested positive.