Iron Couple Caged

A MARKETING Consultant and his wife are languishing in police custody for allegedly molesting their 19-year-old house help to the extent of breaking her legs. The accused persons, Simon Ebo Banson and his wife Josephine Hodo, had allegedly used the excuse that the victim had conspired with some unknown thieves to rob their home and subsequently subjected her to inhumane treatment. The court remanded the accused persons into police custody without taking their plea as requested by the prosecutor, ASP Sarah Acquah, who disclosed that investigations were still on-going. Their lawyer, Francis Okyere, had prayed for bail for Banson who was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and causing harm on grounds that he was a diabetic who needed to attend hospital for treatment. Josephine is said to have abetted her husband in the said crime. Their lawyer also said the accused persons were responsible people with a place of abode and were ready to co-operate with the police till the determination of the case. However, the prosecutor objected to bail saying they would tamper with police investigations. The prosecutor, who said the accused persons had failed to give a statement to the police, disclosed that the police were going to the Volta Region to arrest accomplices in the matter. The judge, after denying them bail, ordered the police to grant medical assistance to Banson while in custody. The prosecutor disclosed that the complainant was Akua Serwaa, the victim�s mother, a trader living at Hohoe. Two years ago, the couple, who lived at Dansoman, a suburb of Accra, employed the victim as a house help in their house. In May 2011, the couple accused the victim of conspiring with others to burgle their house but the victim denied the allegation. The accused then sent the victim to the Dansoman police station where she was detained and later released to them. However, on reaching home, they allegedly locked the victim in the toilet and continually molested her. The toilet room, according to the prosecutor, became the dwelling place of the victim. On September 2011, Banson allegedly dragged the victim from the toilet room to their master bedroom and used a hot iron to cause severe burns at the back of the victim. As if that was not enough, Banson allegedly inflicted cutlass wounds all over the victim�s body. On October 29, 2011 at about 2pm, Banson again dragged the victim from the toilet room to their master bedroom, locked the door and allegedly used a board to hit victim�s left leg which got broken. The victim reportedly fell on the floor helplessly whilst Josephine stood by. On September 30, 2011 at about 8am, the victim�s brother, Akwasi Asiedu, a witness, decided to visit her sister whom he had not heard of for sometime. On reaching the house of Banson, the accused persons allegedly accused the victim of conspiring to burgle their house. Banson reportedly pulled a gun on the witness, ordering him to kneel down from 12 noon to 12midnight, with a warning that he would shoot him if he dared get up. He intermittently molested him. When he was finally released, he asked of his sister and Banson allegedly told him that she was sick and therefore had been sent to a prayer camp. Asiedu, who suspected that something serious might have happened to the victim, reported the matter to the Dansoman Police, who rushed to the house and found the victim in a very critical condition and rescued her. The victim was rushed to the Police Hospital but later referred to Korle-Bu Teaching hospital due to the seriousness of her condition. The case was transferred to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit for investigations.