Trial of 13 students of UG for alleged indecent assault

Accra, June 20, GNA - A Circuit Court in Accra has fixed Thursday, July 14 to hear the case of 13 students of the University of Ghana, Legon who have been accused of sexually abusing a Madina-based petty trader, Amina Haruna at Mensah Sarbah Hall, Annex 91B'. Amina was alleged to have stolen a laptop and a mobile phone. The court fixed the date after all the 13 students appeared before it. Charged officially with four counts of conspiracy, assault by imprisonment, indecent assault and causing harm to Amina, they have pleaded not guilty.

The court presided over by Mrs Georgina Mensah-Datsa has admitted each of them to GH¢9,000 bail.

Defence lawyers produced four out of the 13 students who were absent at the previous sitting to the Police and they were among those granted bail.

On May 30, the court ordered the defence team to produce four of them whom the Police claimed were at large.

They are Alexander Aryee, Benedict Boamoah, Jesse Boamah and Edward Ts= ito. When the case was called at the last sitting, only nine of the students were in court. The nine students are Francis Wiredu Attah, Tornu Mark Dickson, Morris Awuregya, Nana Osei Asiamah, Gideon Agyei Ayirdaga, Aboyadana Amobila Gabriel, Afeatse Godfred, Evans Addai Boateng and Obed Banini. The five-member defence team is being led by Mr Bright Akwetey, however, the complainant Amina was not in court during the proceedings on Monday.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Kofi Blagodzi, prosecuting, told the court that the Police had finally reconciled their facts and the charges and were ready for the trial to commence.

The prosecution's case is that at about 2330 hours on March 30, Amina was arrested at Mensah Sarbah Hall Annex B for allegedly stealing a laptop and a mobile phone belonging to one of the students. The students retrieved the stolen items from Amina and thereafter locked her in a room until 0300 hours and subjected her to severe beatings.

The prosecution said the students stripped her naked, inserted their fingers into Amina's private part until she bled. She was rescued by some security guards and handed over to the Police who in turn took her to the Police Hospital where she was on admission for four days.

The prosecution said some of the students filmed the molestation, distributed copies to some media houses and others posted the incident on the internet.

Amina identified some of the students during an identification parade and some were identified in the video footage and photographs.