A 38-year-old scrap dealer, Haruna Ishaq, has been arraigned before the Akyem Swedru Circuit Court for allegedly defiling a 15-year-old first-year student of St. Francis Senior High School and infecting her with HIV.
Ishaq, who faces charges of abduction, defilement, and willful transmission of HIV, pleaded not guilty. The court, presided over by Mrs. Akosua Ataa Nyarko, granted him bail in the sum of GH¢60,000 with three sureties to be justified. He is expected to reappear in court on October 23, 2025, for trial.
Before being granted bail, Ishaq had been remanded in police custody twice. The presiding judge initially considered a third remand, but defence lawyers Nana Asare-Djikunu and Richard Offin successfully appealed for bail on health grounds, citing the accused’s need for medical attention.
According to the prosecution, the victim’s mother, who trades in iced kenkey and sobolo at Oda New Lorry Park, reported her daughter missing on April 26, 2025, after sending her out to sell drinks. The girl failed to return home for three days.
After friends of the girl began searching for her, the accused, realizing the mother was looking for the victim, released her. The complainant subsequently reported the case to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service at Oda on April 30, 2025.
During interrogation, the victim revealed that the accused had kept her for three days and had sexual intercourse with her. Ishaq was arrested and, in his caution statement, admitted to abducting and defiling the girl, claiming they were in a romantic relationship.
A medical examination at the Oda Government Hospital confirmed that the victim had been defiled and infected with HIV.
Despite his earlier admission, Ishaq pleaded not guilty to all charges when he appeared before the court.
Source:Africa Publicity
