A Lebanese national, Mr Rabih Haddad, who is facing rape charges in Ghana, has been granted bail by an Accra Criminal High Court.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Kofi Dorgu, granted Mr Haddad bail in the sum of GHC500,000 with two sureties yesterday in Accra.
According to the Presiding Judge, the prosecutor failed to convince the court on why the suspect could not be granted bail.
As part of the measures to ensure that the suspect does not leave the country, the Judge ordered him to submit his [suspect] passport to the court’s registry.
Mr. Haddad is said to have been on admission at the Ridge Hospital in Accra for some time now due to some illness.
Meanwhile, in a dramatic twist, the police appear to be contradicting themselves over the DNA report in the Lebanese rape case as they now claimed sperms of the suspect was not found on the alleged victim, Esther Akuvi Adje.
Earlier, a police hospital report dated December 3, 2017, according to impeccable sources within the service, told Today that the spermatozoa found on the girl by medical officers after physical examination confirmed to be that of Mr. Haddad’s
Based on the police hospital report, further swabs were taken for forensic DNA testing to be sure the sperm found on the girl indeed belonged to the Lebanese.
However, the police, according to some media reports, claimed a forensic lab report denied any knowledge of sperm on the girl.
The court is yet to go into the contradicting DNA reports.
Story: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Writes’ email: franklin.asare-donkor@todaygh.com