Wednesday, May 12, 2010
By Stephen Kwabena Effah
THE Police prosecutor handling the case of the Accra-based pastor alleged to have defiled his 10-year old daughter says her life is being threatened.
“If I tell you there were even threats on my life you won’t believe it,” ASP Sara Ekua Acquah, disclosed yesterday at the Accra Circuit Court trying Nana Kofi Yirenkyi, Head Pastor of Jesus Blood Prophetic Ministry.
No details were given as to who, when and the medium through which the alleged threats were issued.
The prosecution’s claim came as a surprise to Nana Yirenkyi who is mostly referred to as “Jesus Onetouch,” and most of his church members and relatives who filled the courtroom.
According to ASP Acquah, the prosecution is having “security problems” at the Ministry’s Police Cells where the accused is being held, but again did not give details as to what kind of security threats they are faced with, citing security reasons.
In view of this, she prayed the court to remand the accused who is mostly referred to as “Jesus Onetouch,” in prison custody but his counsel, K.N Acheampong disagreed with the prosecution’s claim on the grounds that they are factually unfounded.
However, the trial judge, Mrs. Georgina Mensah-Datsa refused the prosecution’s plea to remand the accused in prison custody, saying “I have confidence in the police in protecting the accused person, the prosecution and the police station”.
She pointed out that it had always been very difficult to get remand prisoners to appear for trial whenever they are due to appear before the court.
Mrs. Mensah-Datsa thus asked the accused to be remanded in police custody but said it is within the powers of the police to send him to whichever police station it feels appropriate.
Sources close to the prosecution told the Times after yesterday’s proceedings that Nana Yirenkyi is likely to be moved from the Ministry’s Police cells to a different police station.
Nana Yirenkyi, who was arrested in March this year for allegedly defiling his daughter with whom he lived in Accra, is being tried on two counts of defilement and incest.
He has pleaded not guilty to both charges and is currently on police remand, having been refused bail three times
Meanwhile, the defence yesterday told the court of its resolve to appeal against its ruling refusing a submission of no case last Tuesday.
According to Mr.Acheampong, they have just received a corrected version of court proceedings and in the process of filing their appeal against the Circuit Court’s decision to refuse the submission of no case.
In the meantime, he told the court that they would file a stay of proceedings pending the appeal, hence urged the court to adjourn the case to May 24, to enable the defence to put its house in order.
On April 26, the defence made a submission of no case immediately the prosecution closed its case but the court on May 4 ruled that the prosecution has been able to establish a prima facie case against Nana Yirenkyi.
It consequently asked Nana Yirenkyi to prepare to open his defence yesterday but when the case was called after several hours of waiting for his counsel to make appearance, he announced his intention to appeal against the court’s decision.
It is the prosecution’s case that the victim, who was born out of wedlock, had been living with her mother until 2005 when she was sent to Nana Yirenkyi at McCarthy Hill, Accra to attend school.
The prosecution said between 2008 and 2009, Nana Yirenkyi started having sexual intercourse with her daughter on Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays before church service.
It said in November 2009, Nana Yirenkyi requested the victim’s mother to talk to the victim who she said had put up a bad character.
According to the prosecution, it was at this instance that the victim revealed her ordeal to her mother who reported the matter to the police who gave her a form for medical examination.
Nana Yirenkyi was later arrested and put before court.
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