‘Rapist’ Lebanese Still In The Cooler

An Accra Human Rights High Court has set January 15 to deliver its ruling on a motion for bail filed by lawyers of Rabih Haddad, the 39-year-old businessman accused of allegedly raping his 19-year-old domestic help.

This follows the hearing of the motion by the court presided over by Justice Kofi Dorgu yesterday.

The court, on Monday, deferred hearing of the motion expected to give Haddad some respite after weeks of being in police grips.

The situation on Monday moved the wife of Haddad to tears because the court had refused hear the bail application.

The court did not hear the bail application by the lawyers of the accused, Ralph Opoku Adusei because the state prosecutor in charge of the case was indisposed.

Bail

However, in moving the application for bail yesterday, Ralph told the court that the offense his client was facing was billable.

He said Haddad could satisfy any bail condition indicating that if his client was confined that would be the destruction of the life of a family.

The lawyer was of the view that we would be in a jungle if the court allowed public justice to prevail in the matter.

He said the court ought to bear in mind that the DNA report the prosecution was waiting is not a requirement for bail.

Opposing the bail, the prosecution said the accused person has no place of abode especially when the accused is a foreign national who could leave the country when granted bail.

He argued that Haddad will not avail himself to stand trial.

Lawyers of the accused are the high court in another attempt at bail after an Accra Central District Court had refused the accused bail.

The court presided over by Ms. Arit Nsemoh held that it did not have the jurisdiction to grant bail.

Prosecuting, Superintendent of Police Kweku Bempah informed the court that the matter was under investigations and awaiting DNA test to prove the case of rape or otherwise.

Supt. Bempah prayed the court to remand him into Police cells near the Police Hospital.

The facts as narrated by the Prosecution was that the victim is a 19-year-old Togolese who was engaged as a domestic house help in the house of Haddad.

Supt. Bempah said the Haddad is a Lebanese resident at Airport Hills, Accra.

Prosecution said in the month of November, this year, the victim was employed by the accused as a house help and he was in the boys’ quarter of the house with another house help.

The prosecutor said ever since the victim moved to the house the accused had persistently harassed the victim and insisted to have sexual intercourse with her anytime occupants including Haddad’s wife were not in the house.

Supt. Bempah said on November 30, this year, in the afternoon Haddad lured the victim into one of the rooms upstairs of the house and had sex with her after all the occupants in the house had left.

Prosecution said the victim reported the incident to a co-worker in the house but both kept the incident to themselves for the fear of losing their jobs.

On December 2, this year, between 4:00pm to 5:00pm when Haddad’s wife and kids had gone out, Haddad requested for coffee from the victim.

The victim then proceeded to the kitchen to prepare the coffee and Haddad approached the victim and demanded sex from her.

Slap

Prosecution said the victim resisted and that infuriated Haddad who slapped her on the face and held her neck and dragged her into the master bedroom.

According to prosecution Haddad stripped her naked and had sex with her on the bed.

Soon after the act, Prosecution said the accused person warned her not inform anyone in the house and he took his bath and left the house in his car.

Prosecution said victim for the second time reported her ordeal to the co-worker who in turn passed the information to a Police officer who was on duty nearby.

The matter was therefore reported at the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) at Airport upon which Haddad was arrested.

By: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson/ thePublisher