Court transfers defilement case for lack of jurisdiction

The Half Assini District Magistrate’s Court has transferred a defilement case to Takoradi Circuit Court for trial for the lack of jurisdiction.

Semahenon Gononsia Landry, a 24-year-old Ivorian refugee was alleged to have defiled a 5-year-old fellow Ivorian girl at Elubo Eagle Star Refugee Transit Camp.

DSP John Furguson Dzineku, Jomoro District Police Commander made this known in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Half Assini on Thursday.

DSP Dzineku said the victim and her mother and the accused person had all been living under a tent at the Transit Camp ever since and while they were asleep at night Gononsia turned the girl and had sex with her.

The DSP said the victim raised an alarm to the attention of the mother and the next day a report was made at the Elubo Police Station, where a police form was issued to the girl to go for medical attention.

DSP Dzineku said the doctor’s report indicated that there were bruises at the entrance of the victim’s vagina.

Consequently, the accused was arrested by the Elubo Police and sent to the Half Assini Police Station where after investigation he was charged with the offence.

The Commander said the Half Assini District Magistrate’s Court presided over by Mr Hans Kofi Kpodo on Thursday, August 18, 2011 ordered the transfer of Gononsia to Takoradi to be tried by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Source: GNA