Police must get cameras for investigations – Judge

Mrs Sedinam Awo Balokah, a Judge at the Adentan Circuit Court, has asked the Police Administration to procure cameras for investigators to aid their work.

“If crimes scenes are better captured, justice delivery will also get better,” she said.

The trial judge said this when Victor Okoye, a 33-year-old mason during cross-examination asked the investigator to show the court pictures of the crime scene if she had them.

The investigator, who claimed she had taken pictures of the crime scene on her phone, said the phone was missing.

“My phone got missing so I don’t have the pictures. When I visited the crime scene, I saw Neem tree leaves scattered on the ground and it looked like someone threw the Neem tree leaves around and plants at the area were lying low,” the investigator told the court under cross-examination.

The judge said the acquisition of the cameras would prevent investigators from keeping crime scene pictures on their phones and avert the transfer of the pictures.

Okoye is alleged to have defiled a 12-year-old girl at Oyibi Estates in the Greater Accra Region.

Charged with defilement, he pleaded not guilty.

The case of the prosecution led by Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo is that the complainant, an accounts clerk, resided at Oyibi Estate with the victim, a Junior High student, who is her daughter.

The prosecution said the accused was a Nigerian and a mason residing in the same vicinity.

On April 7, 2022, the prosecution said the complainant’s eldest daughter sent the victim to buy her call credit nearby.

It said the victim did not get the credit, so she decided to go back home.

The prosecution said the accused met the victim on her way home and he (accused) directed her to another place, which had bushes and trees in the area.

It said the accused followed the victim to the bush and forcibly had sex with her, using Neem leaves to cover her mouth to prevent her from shouting.

The prosecution said the accused after the act left the victim to her fate and that in pain, she crawled out of the bush when she heard her mother calling.

It said soon after the victim responded, her mother came to her aid, and she narrated her ordeal to her.

The prosecution said a report was made to the Police and the accused was arrested and sent to Adenta Domestic Violence and Victim’s Support Unit.

The victim was given a Police medical form to seek medical care.

The matter has been adjourned to November 14 for the prosecution to present the victim in court.

Source: GNA