Ali-Gabass to know fate on July 13
The fate of the Sekondi-based medical practitioner who has been charged for sodomising a 16-year-old senior high school student is to be determined by the Accra Circuit Court on July 13, this year.
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The decision followed the submission of written addresses by both the prosecution and the defence counsel at yesterday’s sitting of the court.
Sulley Ali-Gabass, a senior medical doctor at the Effia Nkwanta Hospital in Sekondi, is in custody over a two-count charge of having unnatural carnal knowledge of the victim, a charge he has denied.
Lead counsel for the accused person, Mr John Benson, opened the defence in the trial held in camera, during which he submitted a medical report from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to prove that his client was not HIV positive.
The young victim, whose health condition is deteriorating, has been diagnosed as being HIV positive.
Dismissal
On May 26, 2015, the court, presided over by Mrs Rita Agyeman-Budu, dismissed an application of “no case” filed on behalf of the accused and ordered him to open his defence.
Witnesses
In all, five witnesses, including the victim, Mr Manasseh Azure, the journalist who first broke the story that led to the arrest and prosecution of Ali-Gabass, and the victim’s father, testified.
The other witnesses are the police investigator, Sergeant Osei Asiedu, and Dr Nii Aryee, a surgeon at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, who diagnosed the victim with fistula and anal rectal abscess after a surgical operation.
Background
According to the facts of the case, the victim is a student residing at Kasoa, while Ali-Gabass is a medical practitioner at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.
In September 2013, the victim encountered Ali-Gabass on Facebook and they became friends.
They exchanged ideas online and communicated by phone for a while until October 2013 when Ali-Gabass arranged and met the victim at the Kasoa New Market area where he forcibly had anal sex with the victim in his car, the prosecution claimed.
It said about 7 p.m. on December 28, 2013, the two met again at the same venue where Ali-Gabass allegedly had anal sex with the victim, after which he offered the boy a Samsung Galaxy mobile phone and GH¢20.
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After the second sexual act, it said the victim became ill and Ali-Gabass allegedly prescribed paracetamol tablets for him.
According to the prosecution, the act was repeated at the same venue in February 2014.
It said in March and April 2014, Ali-Gabass lured the victim to his house at Alajo in Accra where he allegedly had another bout of anal sex with him.
It said after the fifth incident, the victim started experiencing excruciating pains and complained to Ali-Gabass to give him money to attend hospital, but he refused.
“Rather, the accused person threatened the victim persistently via phone calls and managed to put fear in him from disclosing his ordeal,” the prosecution further claimed.