COP JAILED 12 YEARS FOR DEFILING 2 SISTERS (Page 3)

Story: Vincent Adedze, Tamale

General Constable Emmanuel Attivoe, the police officer who defiled two sisters at the Tamale Police Barracks in March last year, has been sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment by the Tamale Circuit Court.
He was charged on two counts of defiling the two sisters, both aged 14. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Thirty-one-year-old Attivoe was sentenced to 12 years on each of the two counts to run concurrently.
According to the facts of the case, as presented by a State Attorney, Mr Salia Abdul-Quddus, the victims lived with their guardian, who operates a chop bar at the police barracks in Tamale, and the convict was a regular customer of the bar.
According to the prosecutor, sometimes when the convict bought food, either of the two sisters sent it to his room. Mr Abdul-Quddus stated that in March 2007, Attivoe had carnal knowledge of the first victim once and then the second victim four times.
The prosecution further stated that in July 2007, the head teacher of the Police Barracks Primary School where the victims attended school noticed some physical changes in the bodies of the girls. He, subsequently, referred the victims to the Builpela Clinic, where it was detected that the girls were 19 and 20 weeks pregnant, respectively.
According to Mr Abdul-Quddus, the girls were later sent to the Tamale Teaching Hospital and again it was confirmed that they were pregnant.
On July 20, 2007, the head teacher, the two girls and two female teachers made a report to the Regional Office of the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Tamale.
Upon interrogation, the victims mentioned the convict as the person responsible for the pregnancies. Accompanied by a CID officer, the victims identified Attivoe’s room and block number as the place where he had sex with them.
An identification parade was also held at the Regional Police Headquarters where the girls pointed out the convict as the one responsible for their pregnancies.
However, the convict denied the act when he was interrogated and after further investigations he was arrested and charged with two counts of defilement. He was subsequently put before the court, presided over by Mrs Angelina Mensah-Momiah, for trial.
In August last year, the Ghana Police Service interdicted Attivoe for the act. The service also instituted a service enquiry to investigate his conduct.