Teacher in court over indecent assault; victim filmed sexual act

Ernest Kwasi Tsikata, a 55-year-old teacher has been put before an Accra Circuit Court charged with indecent assault.

Tsikata is alleged to have fondled the breast of a 14-year-old girl and attempted to insert his penis into her vagina in his office at El-wak, Accra.

The victim’s friends gave her a phone to record the act, alleging it was the accused’s way of life.

He has denied the offence with the court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann admitting him to bail in the sum of GHC40,000 with three sureties, two of whom are to be public servants earning not less than GHC 2,000 as net salary.

The matter has been adjourned to March 3, for Case Management Conference.

Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire, the prosecutor, narrated that the complainant was a 36-year-old caterer residing at South La, Accra and that the victim was a Junior High Student residing with the complainant who was her mother.

The prosecution said the accused and the victim were in the same school.

Chief Inspector Atimbire said on October 22, last year, at about 3:00 pm, while the school had closed, the victim and her female friends were playing when the accused sent for the victim.

It said the victim’s friends agreed with her and gave her a mobile phone to record any suspicious act of the accused person because the accused had been allegedly fondling their breasts whenever he called them to his office.

According to the prosecution, the victim took the phone and pressed the recording button, and she went to the accused’s office.

It said the accused ordered the victim to lock the door when she entered the office, but she refused.

The prosecution said the accused then locked the door himself and kept the key in his pocket and started fondling the victim’s breast.

It said he took the victim into an inner small room where he held her two hands at her back, removed his trousers and boxer’s shorts and allegedly attempted inserting his penis into the victim’s anus.

The prosecution said the victim shouted and struggled with the accused so he could not accomplish his desire.

It said the accused dressed up and opened the door for the victim to leave his office.

The prosecution said when the victim got home, she informed her mother, and a complaint was lodged with the Military Police.

It said the matter was later transferred to the Domestic Violence and Victim’s Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service in the Greater Accra Region.