An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 52-year-old porter to 12 years in prison for having sex with a minor in a kiosk at Lapaz, Accra. 

Oko Quartey pleaded not guilty to charges of defilement, death threat, and indecent assault. 

The court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann, found Quartey guilty and penalised him accordingly at the end of the trial. 

It sentenced Quartey to 12 years in prison for defilement and three years in prison on two counts of death threat and indecent assault. However, sentences will run concurrently. 

According to the prosecution, led by Detective Chief Inspector Opoku Aniagyie, the complainant is a 25-year-old student living in Anyaa Palastown, an Accra suburb, and the complainant is a guardian to the victim, whose age was determined to be between 12 and 13 years old by a bone age determination report. 

The prosecution said Quartey alias Oko, 52, is a porter at Lapaz Kaneshie Lorry Station near the Total Filling Station.   

The prosecution told the court that Oko persuaded the victim inside a lotto kiosk at Lapaz Kaneshie station while she was on her way to pick up her school bag from an aunt's residence at Lapaz Tema Lorry Station at 0700 hours in February 2023. 

According to the prosecution, Oko got the victim inside the kiosk for the first and second times in February 2023, stroked her breast, kissed her, and inserted his finger into her vagina. 

Oko allegedly offered the minor GH₵5.00 after the crime and warned her not to tell anybody else about the incident or he would kill her. 

The prosecution said Oko brought the victim into the same kiosk twice in March 2023, put his fingers into her vagina, fondled her breast, asked her to undress, and had sexual intercourse with her. 

Oko then gave the victim GH₵5.00 and warned her not to tell anyone else. 

The prosecution said the victim kept the ordeal to herself because she was afraid until she started bleeding in March. 

The complainant decided to take her to the hospital for assessment and treatment before the victim disclosed all that had happened to her. 

The victim named Oko as the offender, and he was subsequently arrested and taken to the Tesano Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit for further investigation. 

The prosecution said a Police medical form was issued to the complainant to send the victim to a hospital for treatment and examination.