"Bob Okalla" acquitted and discharged

Sunyani (B/A) March 3 GNA - 'Bishop' Bob Okalla, also known as Samuel Kwadwo Buabeng, who was standing trial for allegedly defiling a 15-year-old girl was on Wednesday acquitted and discharged by a Circuit Court in Sunyani.

Mr. G.H.K. Debrah, the judge said the prosecution failed to prove the case against Okalla and was too technical in its investigation. He said the alleged victim's conflicting date of birth as quoted by the prosecution and statements made by some of the six prosecution witnesses all lacked the essential ingredients to convince the court. The case of the prosecution was that Okalla first appeared before court on September 23, last year charged with defiling the victim at Nkoranza in Brong-Ahafo where he and other members of a concert party went to perform in 2002.

Okalla was alleged to have lured the girl to a hotel where members of the concert party put up and had sex with her for the whole night and later left for Accra.

The girl did not report the incident to her parents until three months later when the parents got to know and reported the matter to the police at Nkoranza.

The case was later transferred to WAJU in Sunyani and Okalla was traced to Accra and arrested.

Neither the alleged victim nor the parents were in court. Mr. Kingsley Fordjour Otu-Essel, a Sunyani-based lawyer was counsel for Bishop Okalla.