Wa defilement trial: Court calls for public education on defilement ahead of judgment

A Wa Circuit Court presided over by His Honour Jonathan Avogo, Tuesday, asked the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) to educate the public on defilement ahead of the determination of the defilement case against Rashid Ahmed, A.K.A. ‘Anaata’.

The Court also asked the media to be circumspect in its report on the case and to seek clarification from the court when necessary.

This was after the second Prosecution Witness, Detective Corporal Emmanuel Banyesere who is the investigator in the alleged defilement case against Anaata made his second appearance in court to testify.

His Honour Avogo gave the assurance that the Court would continue to be fair and just in the trial of the case and would ensure the right judgment was given.

Prosecution Witness Tuesday concluded his testimony in all four dockets in the trial and the Court established a Prima Facie case in two dockets.

The case was adjourned to Wednesday, September 6, 2023, for the accused person to open his defense.

Meanwhile, Rashid Ahmed is also expected to open his defense on Friday, September 2, 2023, in one of the four dockets built in the case against him after Banyesere testified in that docket on Friday, August 25, 2023, and the court established a Prima Facie case against him.

The court, however, said one of the dockets in the case lacked evidence to hold the accused person against it but the Prosecution said he would bring in another witness later to testify in that case.

Saeed Abdul Shakur, a Principal State Attorney in the Upper West Region who is the lead prosecutor in the case, argued that the three factors needed to be proved in a defilement case had been proved enough for the accused person to defend.

He said the ages of the survivors of being below 16 years had been proven by their birth certificates and National Health Insurance cards, the Medical Doctor, in his

testimony had also indicated that the survivors were sexually active, and the survivors in the case had also identified Rashid Ahmed as the person who had sex with them.

He argued that one of the victims clearly described the room of the accused person, the paint colour of the room ceiling, the position of the bed, the position of the chairs, and the position of the cylinder, which were evidence that the accused person should defend.

Rashid Ahmed, A.K.A. Anaata, a popular Master of Ceremony (MC) for Islamic Weddings in Wa, aged about 35 years, is standing trial for about 20 counts of defilement, attempted defilement, and indecent assault, which he had denied in the court.

The suspected serial paedophile is alleged to have defiled about 30 girls in Wa aged between 12 and 15 years, but nine survivors had testified in the case.