Miss Commonwealth torture case sent to AG’s Department

Police in the Eastern Region say they have sent the case docket of the alleged torture of a contestant of the Miss Commonwealth beauty pageant by the organisers to the Attorney-General’s Department for advice.

The victim, Nana Ama Essien, 24, who was the third-runner-up winner of the Miss Commonwealth beauty pageant held on September 7, 2019 in Accra, sustained some injuries after she was allegedly stripped naked and assaulted with an implement she claimed was a cutlass.

Sgt Gomado told the Graphic Showbiz in a telephone interview that Nana Ama Essien, who initially lodged a complaint with the Kaneshie District Police Command in Accra was referred to the Eastern Regional Command, and she lodged the complaint on Friday October 11, 2019.

According to Sgt Gomado, Nana Ama Essien, who sported visible marks of assault on her knees and back, came to the regional Criminal Investigations Department in the company of one Mark Osei Hayford to report that Princess Duncan and a second suspect Isaac Evra took her and eight others to Togbe Shittor’s shrine in Kukurantumi.

The visit, according to the complaint, was to enable Princess Duncan unravel the truth about a series of theft cases including that of a contestant whose GHS500 was stolen during the pageant.

“During the consultation at Togbe Shittor’s shrine, two male servants of his assaulted her with the side of a cutlass while another forced her to admit the offense,” Sergeant Gomado stated.

The victim, he said was issued with a police medical report form to attend hospital, which she has returned to the command, leading to the arrest of the suspects who were held on charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit trial by ordeal and assault.

Nana Ama Essien, who said she has been left traumatised by the events told an Accra-based radio station, Adom FM that on Saturday, October 5, Princess Duncan requested to see her in connection with a trip to the UK as part of the prize package for the top five winners of the competition.

She said she met Princess Duncan at her home on Monday October 7 with other contestants, where she was informed of the trip, but she declined.

Nana Ama claimed Princess convinced her on the need for her to go so as to unravel the truth, which she obliged.

“They brought a bus in which we all sat including the mother of Princess, Mrs Duncan who accompanied us on the trip. Surprisingly however, the car drove past Koforidua until we saw a signboard pointing to Kukurantumi.

“We arrived at the outskirts of the town and were ushered into a big house with very tall wall fencing with an inscription, Welcome to Togbe Shittor,” she stated.

She said owing to huge rainfall in the area on the said day, Togbe Shittor told Princess Duncan that, “the dwarfs do not respond when it rains, so they can go and return on another day” so they all left the shrine for Accra.

“The following day however, Princess called again that I should come over for a mandatory photo shoot which all the top five winners are to take. I resisted initially, but she persisted with numerous phone calls so I obliged,” she narrated.

Nana Ama said when she got there, Princess Duncan reiterated the point that they needed to return to the shrine but she refused telling them she needed to return to work since she did not seek the permission of her bosses.

Princess, Nana Ama claimed, forced her into a car to the shrine where she and her colleagues were presented with eggs by Togbe Shittor to undergo a ritual involving throwing the eggs to reveal who was behind the theft cases during the pageant.

“The chief priest instructed that we throw the eggs into the air and allow for a free fall, the one whose egg did not break during the process was guilty of the offence,” Nana Ama stated.

Unfortunately for Nana Ama, her egg turned out to be a cooked one and as such, failed to break on its fall, making her the guilty one, according to Togbe Shittor.

The suspects have been released on police enquiry bail to report everyday.

Attempts to reach the organisers for their comments were unsuccessful as sources close to Princess Duncan said they would issue a press statement in due course.

 

Source: Graphic Showbiz