Case against "Jesus One Touch" adjourned to October 25

Accra, Oct. 12, GNA - The case of Nana Kofi Yirenkyi, aka "Jesus One Touch", was on Tuesday adjourned to October 25, following the absence of the trial Judge, Mrs Georgina Mensah-Datsa. The trial judge is said to have travelled outside the jurisdiction for a national assignment.

Yirenkyi, who has been accused of defiling his 10-year daughter, was expected to open his defence on Tuesday before the Circuit Court, but that had to be rescheduled.

Yirenkyi has pleaded not guilty to incest and defilement and has been remanded in police custody. On July 26 an Accra Fast Track High Court ordered Yirenkyi to open his defence.

In its ruling, the court noted that the prosecution had been able to prove the essential ingredients of the charges levelled against him and ordered him to open his defence. On April 26 the prosecution closed its case after calling eight witnesses and the defence declared its intention to file a submission of no case.

The submission of no case was turned down but Yirenkyi challenged that decision at the Fast Track High Court.

The prosecution's case is that the victim, born out of wedlock, lived with her mother, Madam Asamaa, until 2005 when she left to live with the accused at McCarthy Hill in Accra to attend school. It said between 2008 and 2009, the accused started defiling the victim each time he attended church service.

In November 2009, the accused granted an opportunity to the victim's mother to talk to her because she was misbehaving. It was during the interaction that the victim revealed her ordeal to her mother.

The victim was initially examined by a medical doctor and later transferred to the Police Hospital for further treatment.