Witness suborned - Prosecution

Accra, Dec. 8, GNA - Madam Helen Kwawukume, Chief State Attorney on Wednesday said a defence witness testifying in the incest case against Nana Kofi Yirenkyi also known as "Jesus One Touch", Founder and General Overseer of Jesus Blood Ministry had been suborned.

Police Inspector Mohammed Ali Balah, and third defence witness led-in-evidence by Mr K.N. Adomako-Acheampong in his evidence said on March 2, 2010, the complainant, Madam Bernice Owiredua Asamaa, the victim and her auntie came to the Akropong-Akwapim Divisional Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) to lodge a complaint about he alleged incest. Witness who was the Station Officer on duty said when they made the complaint, he came to Accra to arrest the accused but did not find him, however, the Odorkor Police Command agreed to arrest him. Inspector Balah said the following day, the accused and his wife showed up at the Akropong-Akwapim Police Station and was ushered into the Crime Officer's office where his statement was taken, but the Divisional Police Commander was not present at the time. He said the accused vehemently denied the allegations in his statement, but was taken to Mampong-Akwapim Police Station and detained. Witness said on March 4, he brought the accused back to Akropong-Akwapim Police Station where there was a meeting between the accused, complainant, him (witness), and the Akropong Divisional Commander of Police (DCOP) Mina Ayim and others. Inspector Balah said at the meeting, the complainant told DCOP Ayim that victim had told her auntie that the accused had been defiling her for the past two years. Witness said the accused denied and said it was one Efo who had confessed to him (accused) that he had inserted his fingers into victim's vagina and therefore called the complainant to inform her and asked her to question the victim about it.

He said when DCOP Ayim enquired from the complainant about the truth in what the accused had said, she admitted that it was true, and after the meeting, the accused was sent back to the Mampong-Akwapim Police Station cells. Madam Kwawukume, during cross-examination, maintained that no such meeting took place before DCOP Ayim and the records of a meeting that took place was before the crime officer at Akropong-Akwapim. She stated that there was no entry in the Diary of Actions at Akropong-Akwapim Police Station about the said meeting. "I put it to you that the statement you are giving to this court is not true," she said. The Prosecutor asked the witness if he remembered receiving a phone call from her (prosecutor) a few weeks ago, to which the witness said no, and that he had never spoken to her before. "I put it to you that I called you and you are deliberately denying it", Madam Kwawukume said. She pleaded with the court to adjourn the matter so that she could procure and study the Diary of Actions from Akropong-Akwapimg Police Station to help continue with her cross-examination, since the extracts from it did not show any meeting with DCOP Ayim.

Mr K.N. Adomako-Acheampong and Mr Paul Owusu, Defence counsels objected to the adjournment saying that prosecution should have asked for the diary when the investigator came to testify and witness would not be able to answer any question regarding it since he did not make the entries. However, the court adjourned the case to Tuesday, December 14 for cross-examination to be completed. "Jesus One Touch" is being accused of allegedly defiling his 10-year-old daughter. He has pleaded not guilty and placed in Police custody. The prosecution's case was that the victim, was born out of wedlock, and lived with the complainant; Madam Bernice Owiredua Asamaa, until 2005 when she left to live with the accused at McCarthy Hills in Accra to attend school. It said between 2008-2009; accused started defiling the victim before every church service. In November 2009, the accused granted an opportunity to the victim's mother to talk to her because she was putting up a bad behaviour. It was during the interaction that the victim revealed her ordeal to the complainant. The victim was initially examined by a medical practitioner and later transferred to the Police Hospital for further treatment. 8 Dec. 10