Rape scandal hits NHIA …manager under investigation

The District Manager of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district of the Savannah Region, Mahama Sakara has been reported to the police and the national headquarters of the NHIA for allegedly attempting to rape a nurse at the Soma CHPS compound.

According to the victim in a petition, the manager’s attempt to rape her resulted in a struggle between them and in the process the man’s fingers entered her vagina.

“However, when we got into the facility, Mr Mahama Sakara (the Sawla NHIA Manager) started making sexual demands. Upon several pleading that I was engaged to a man, Mr Sakara engaged me in a struggle to have sex with me. In the process, his (Sakara) fingers entered my vagina but could not have sexual intercourse with me,” part of her petition read.

In an audio tape in addition to the petition, two voices, one male and the other female, are heard in a dialogue with male voice demanding a sexual favour and the female being adamant.

The main voice at a point lamented he was in pain for being denied the sexual favour and that he had had an erection long before he got into the compound.

The male voice feared something may happen to him if denied the favour.

“Just do me this singular favour, if you don’t do this favour and anything happens to me I won’t forgive you. I will never forgive you if you don’t do me just this favour,” the male voice is heard saying.

The victim says she wants a thorough investigation to be conducted into the matter and appropriate sanctions applied.

Investigation

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says it will investigate and take appropriate action on the allegation of sexual assault levelled against one of its directors.

Issahak Abdul Latif, the Regional Director of the NHIA confirmed to Citi News that he has received the letter and has forwarded it to the Chief Executive Officer at the Headquarters in Accra for action.

“As the Regional Director, my responsibility was just to deliver the letter which I have done and so for now, I will say we have received the letter and it has been forwarded to the final destination which is the Chief Executive of the Authority and we are waiting for appropriate response,” he said.

He added that the Mahama Sakara has admitted knowing the nurse in question and said he was aware of the petition against him.

“I spoke to him asking whether he was aware and he said yes he knew the lady and secondly he was equally aware that a petition of such a nature was on its way to the Regional [NHIA] Office… Investigations will surely be done by the head office…I want to assure the general public that very soon they will hear a pronouncement from the head office,” he added.