The case in which five men are facing trial before a Ho High Court for the gang rape of 16-year-old girl at Ehi, near Dzodze, in the Volta Region, almost six years ago, has been adjourned to December 17.
This was after accused appeared on Monday before a Ho High Court.
The adjournment was to enable the prosecution and the defence to prepare for a Case Management Conference (CMC) in respect of the rape charges.
A CMC is part of the court procedure, which takes the form of a meeting between the judge, on the one hand, and the parties (the prosecution and defence) on the other who inform the judge about the documents they intend to rely on in the case.
The accused, Joshua Kpeli, alias Stigma, unemployed, Francis Sabla, alias China, unemployed, Innocent Alevi, alias Clerk, unemployed, barber; Miwoekpor Agbenyega, alias Agbey, barber; and Julius Donkor, student, alias Kapaya, pleaded not guilty to rape at an earlier sitting.
A sixth accused, Paul Agumezor, trader, alias Paulzor, is on the run.
Senior State Attorney, Mr Moses Asampoa, told the court presided over by Mr Yaw Owoahene-Acheampong that on January 22, 2016, Agbenyega asked the girl to buy him a drink and bring it to his house.
The prosecution said after the girl brought the drink Agbenyega and other accused dragged her to a classroom and forcibly sexually assaulted her in turns.
Mr Asampoa said that the girl pleaded with the men to have mercy upon her but they ignored her plea.
Prosecution said that although Kpeli did not have sex with the girl, he kept watch over the scene in readiness to alert the others if someone from the community was approaching the scene.
Mr Asampoa told the court that after the rape, accused persons warned the girl not to disclose her ordeal to anyone.
He said policeman spotted the victim and Sabla and noticed that the girl was groaning in pain.
Mr Asampoa said the policeman told Sabla to go home and he (policeman) escorted the girl to the police station where she narrated her ordeal to the police personnel and led to the police to the houses of accused, leading their arrests.
The court heard that after the police took custody of the cellular phones of the accused, they discovered the video recording footages of the sex acts on Agumezor’s phone.
The prosecution said that the girl was taken to the St Anthony’s Hospital in Dzodze where she received treatment.
Agumezor, who jumped bail is being pursued by the police, the court was told.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO
