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The Cocoa Affairs Court in Accra yesterday ordered the court registry to get a German interpreter for a 79-year-old German tourist, Gerlard Kusterer, who is standing trial for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old pupil.
The court presided over by Sedina Agbemava made the order after observing that proceedings had to come to an abrupt end because there was no interpreter to explain the charges to the accused person who said he did not understand the English language properly.
Earlier, the prosecutor, ASP Sarah Acquah, substituted the old charge sheet with a new one but the accused person’s plea could not be taken in the English language.
On his first appearance, the charges were explained to him by an interpreter from the German Embassy. However, the interpreter was absent yesterday because the embassy explained that it did not have the mandate to provide an interpreter for the accused.
The accused person was previously charged with three counts of abduction of unmarried female under 18, defilement and obscenity.
The new charge sheet maintained the first two charges but the charge of obscenity, which he had pleaded guilty to and was to be sentenced yesterday, was replaced with a new charge of gross indecency.
However, due to the unavailability of an interpreter, the matter has been adjourned to July 10.
The German tourist was arrested by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) recently for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old pupil.
ASP Sarah Acquah, narrating the facts, during the German’s first appearance in court, stated that the complainant was a security officer and a brother to the victim who lived with their parents at Amarhia, Accra.
According to the prosecutor, the accused, Gerlard Kusterer, was a 79-year-old German national while Emelia Nortey was a receptionist at Mascot Hotel where Gerard was lodging.
Emelia was discharged during the first appearance in court.
She narrated that on May 25, 2012 at about 2:00pm, the victim visited the complainant at Korle-Gonno and both went to La Beach.
On reaching there, the victim told the complainant that she was hungry so the complainant left the victim under a summer hat to buy some food for her.
While the victim was waiting for her brother, another man whose name is yet to be ascertained joined her and reportedly engaged her in a conversation.
Gerlard also allegedly joined them and bought a bottle of Guinness for the victim while he bought a Star lager beer and both drank. Later, the said man allegedly sent the victim to town and shopped for her to entice her.
Gerlard and the said man, according to the prosecutor, lured the victim to Mascot Hotel where Emelia worked as a receptionist and she allowed them in. The accused, the victim and the said man entered the room.
However, the man left the two in the room and the accused person, for days, allegedly continued to have sexual intercourse with the victim in the room.
On June 13, 2012 at about 5:35pm, after Gerlard had had sexual intercourse with the victim, he allegedly used his Fuji digital camera to take nude pictures of the victim and stored same on the camera.
The prosecutor added that on June 15, 2012, the victim fell sick and she managed to run away from the hotel room.
When she got home, she narrated her ordeal to her brother who reported the matter to DOVVSU where the complainant was issued with a police medical report form to send the victim to hospital for examination and report.
The prosecutor further stated when the police, in the company of the complainant and victim, went to Mascot Hotel to arrest the accused, Esther, then at the reception, obstructed the police from performing their lawful duty by deceiving them that Gerard had gone out of the hotel.
However, Gerard was arrested in the hotel room after police persisted.
In his caution statement, he allegedly denied having sexual intercourse with the victim but admitted to taking nude pictures of the victim and other young girls which he stored on his camera. |
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| Source: Mary Anane/Daily Guide |
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