Teacher Remanded for Defiling 14 Year Old

The Sunyani Community Tribunal on Monday remanded a 26-year-old teacher in the Nkoranza District in prison custody for defiling a 14-year-old Junior Secondary School (JSS) student. The plea of Kwaku Poku of Sikaa Presbyterian Primary School was not taken and he will reappear on Oct 28, 2002.

Police Inspector Setina Aboagye told the court, presided over by Mr. Charles Adjei Wilson, that the complainant, Madam Cecilia Asantewaah, a farmer and mother of the victim, lived in Sikaa that is a village near Nkoranza. She said sometime last year Madam Asantewaah noted that Poku was having a secret affair with her daughter and reported the matter to his landlady. The landlady advised the accused to put an end to the relationship, but he continued with the affair compelling the girl's parents to lodge a complaint with the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) where Poku was teaching.

The association settled it amicably and the accused was ordered to compensate the girl with ?100,000. Inspector Aboagye said in February this year, the mother detected that the girl was pregnant and reported to the Nkoranza District Director of Education who directed her to report to the police. Poku got wind of this and escaped from the village with the girl, but was arrested on his return. The case was transferred to the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) in Sunyani for further investigation.

Inspector Aboagye said when the girl was issued with a medical form to attend hospital, a medical examination indicated that she had been defiled, but was not pregnant. The accused was charged with the offence after investigations, and was granted bail to appear before court. He was not seen again until his re-arrest on Oct 18th, in Wenchi.