Father of Okere DCE sentenced For pouring Acid on Ex Girlfriend 

The Koforidua Circuit Court “B” has sentenced a 54-year-old father of Okere District Chief Executive to nine years, five months imprisonment for pouring acid on his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend and mother in Awukugua, a farming community in Okere District in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

The culprit, launched the acid attack on the 22-year ex-lover and her mummy in December 2020, while they were in their room at Awukugua, resulting in severe bruises injuries.

However, the incident occurred few months after the jailed man was slapped with a fine of Ghc1,200 plus compensation of GHC1000 by a magistrate Court in Koforidua for circulating nude pictures of his 22-year-old ex-lover.

The judgement cautioned him to stay away from the girl before this inhuman action took place.

Reading the Judgement on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, the Presiding Judge, Her Honour Mercy Addei Kotei took into consideration the previous conviction to apply the maximum sentence, made the jail term 9 years and five months instead of ten years because the convict has been on remand for five months.

The father of the Okere DCE, Nana Yaw Mante, was charged for Lewdness, contrary to section 281(i) B of the Criminal Offence Act, 29/60bin his previous case in Koforidua Magistrate Court “A”.

Culprit

Per the Charge Sheet, the Prosecutor, Sergeant George Defia told the Court on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, that the convicted person and the victim, a Senior High School dropout are both natives of Awukugua, in the Okere District of the Eastern Region of Ghana.

According to the prosecutor, four (4) years ago, the accused met the victim who had dropped out of school due to financial challenges, and under the pretext of assisting her to go back to school, took undue advantage and entered into a sexual relationship with her.

The family of the victim became suspicious and confronted the accused person but he denied having sexual relations with the victim. The relationship hit the rocks due to disapproval and pestering by the family. However, in 2019, the accused convinced the victim and they reunited.

The convict – Nana Yaw Mante, for fear of losing the victim again, told her that he had taken her to a shrine and the gods were demanding to see her nakedness.

In November 2019, the convict lured the victim to Dawu, near Adukrom-Akuapem, where he recorded a series of sexually explicit videos of themselves.

He later circulated the videos and pictures of the victim to her Aunty and two other men he alleged was also dating the victim. The videos went viral on social media in February 2020.

The victim reported the incident to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) at the Regional Police Headquarters in Koforidua.

Nana Yaw Mante was arrested on February 7, 2020, and in his caution statement admitted, recording the sexually explicit videos of the victim and sharing the same.

The receivers of the videos confirmed to Police during interrogation that the accused sent it to them but denied circulating on social media.

During cross-examination, Nana Yaw Mante who claims to be a businessman told the court on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, that, the First Principal Witness in the case insulted him and threatened to forward the nude videos and pictures he sent to her privately, to his son who is currently DCE for Okere and send same to his political enemies (NDC).

But the First Principal Witness denied during crossed examination that she forwarded the sexual images to anyone.

He told the Court that, the 18-year-old girl forced herself on him to date her therefore it was incorrect claims that he forced the girl into a sexual relationship.

He explained that he reunited with the victim in 2019 after a breakup in 2018 because the victim begged that they come together again. He said the videos were taken with the consent of the victim.

Videos, pictures, and WhatsApp chats relating to the matter were tendered in evidence by the prosecutor.

William Ofori Akwaboa, Eastern Regional Correspondent