Rastafarian gets 10 years for defilement

Accra, March 25, GNA - A 42-year-old Rastafarian who defiled a 12 year-old pupil on several occasions at Avenor in Accra was on Tuesday sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court. Razak Mohammed, a spare parts dealer, who pleaded not guilty, was found guilty after a full trial presided over by Mrs Georgina Mensah-Datsa.

Meanwhile, Mohammed's counsel, Mr Raymond Bagnabu, said he would appeal against the decision of the court.

The facts as produced by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr. George Abavelim said the victim, her sibling and a friend visited Mohammed after school on one occasion and Mohammed gave them money. The prosecution said, each time the three visited Mohammed he had sex with the victim while the others sat outside adding that this had been going on since 2006.

The prosecution said on September 10 and 11, 2007, the victim and her brother visited Mohammed again and he had sex with her and warned her not disclose her ordeal to anyone or else he would kill her. On each of those two days, Mohammed gave the victim 20 pesewas (2,000 old cedis).

The prosecution said the victim's mother detected a sudden change in the way the victim walked and when she was questioned she narrated her ordeal.

The case was therefore reported to the Police at Kaneshie.