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A Ghanaian man identified as Selorm Sogah has opened up on how he almost ended up being jailed after being accused of defiling a young female house help of his neighbour.
Read full articleSelorm Sogah, a real estate agent, who took to his Facebook page to narrate his ordeal, titled his story "A friend turned foe; how I almost ended up in jail for no crime committed."
According to him, he was arrested by the Police on February 8, 2022, over report by his neighbour, known as Kofi, for defiling his 13-year-old househelp.
"On Tuesday 8th February 2022 at about 10:25am, I was on my porch while on the phone with a client when suddenly I saw a co-tenant (Kofi) together with a young girl who lives with him of about 12 or 13 years old approach me in the company of 3 policemen. The policemen approached me and told me they were here to take me to the police station so I can answer to some questions. I immediately ended the call with the client and promised to call her back. I demanded from the police to tell me why I was needed at the station. Initially, they refused but I also insisted that it's either they tell me why I was needed there or I won't go with them.
"Eventually they said a case of defilement had been lodged against me by Kofi. According to the Police, Kofi claimed that the little girl says she is pregnant and that I am responsible. I laughed out so loud that for a moment I thought it was some sort of silly joke. Well knowing very well that I was innocent, I followed them and we headed off to the police station. I immediately called a police inspector who happens to be at that same station and told him that I was coming to the station with his colleagues," he posted.
Even though he was innocent, his pleas fell on deaf ears, bundled into cells and locked up behind bars without giving his statement.
"While we were on the way I had called a few family members and other close friends who needed to know what was happening and where I was going. Well we got to the police station and immediately I was put at 'counter back'. There was one very rude and unprofessional female police officer there who started calling me all sorts of names and making all sort of derogatory comments. Truth is that I got infuriated and told her my piece of mind in the presence of everyone. I told her it is because of unprofessional officers like her that is why innocent people sometimes end up being thrown into jail.
Kofi was called into an interrogation room and he gave his statement. I was bundled into cells and locked up behind bars without giving my statement. After about an hour or two I was brought out and I gave my statement and sent back to the cells."
Read his full narration shared on Facebook below:
A FRIEND TURNED FOE; HOW I ALMOST ENDED UP IN JAIL FOR NO CRIME COMMITTED.
So today marks exactly 1 year when I was falsely accused and arrested for a crime I knew nothing about. Here's the story...
On Tuesday 8th February 2022 at about 10:25am, I was on my porch while on the phone with a client when suddenly I saw a co-tenant(Kofi) together with a young girl who lives with him of about 12 or 13 years old approach me in the company of 3 policemen. The policemen approached me and told me they were here to take me to the police station so I can answer to some questions. I immediately ended the call with the client and promised to call her back. I demanded from the police to tell me why I was needed at the station. Initially, they refused but I also insisted that it's either they tell me why I was needed there or I won't go with them.
Eventually they said a case of defilement had been lodged against me by Kofi. According to the Police, Kofi claimed that the little girl says she is pregnant and that I am responsible. I laughed out so loud that for a moment I thought it was some sort of silly joke. Well knowing very well that I was innocent, I followed them and we headed off to the police station. I immediately called a police inspector who happens to be at that same station and told him that I was coming to the station with his colleagues.
While we were on the way I had called a few family members and other close friends who needed to know what was happening and where I was going. Well we got to the police station and immediately I was put at 'counter back'. There was one very rude and unprofessional female police officer there who started calling me all sorts of names and making all sort of derogatory comments. Truth is that I got infuriated and told her my piece of mind in the presence of everyone. I told her it is because of unprofessional officers like her that is why innocent people sometimes end up being thrown into jail.
Kofi was called into an interrogation room and he gave his statement. I was bundled into cells and locked up behind bars without giving my statement. After about an hour or two I was brought out and I gave my statement and sent back to the cells.
Eventually they came for me again from the cell, handcuffed me like a criminal and bundled me into a police car and we drove to my apartment. Kofi and the girl also followed us. The girl was asked to demonstrate or re-enact how the so-called incidence happened. She led the crime Officer and gave some shocking demonstrations; how I would supposedly come knocking on their window and she would come out and I would lead her through the backyard all the way to my apartment and some other unbelievable stories she was saying.
All these time I just kept quiet and was in handcuffs following them. The police took pictures of whatever they deem fit and we drove back to the police station. I was locked up again. Eventually I slept behind bars till the next day.
On Wednesday 9th February my father among other people came to see me and for the first time in my life I saw my father shed tears. He was so broken, livid, and furious because he knew I didn't and couldn't have done what I was accused of doing. In fact, upon seeing my dad and the fact that he was in such pensive teary-eyed mood, I couldn't hold back my tears. I cried bitterly.
While in the cells all I could think of was, knowing the kind of country we live in and the justice system that we have, what would happen to me if investigation delayed and I have to be sent to court and remanded? How long would it take for me to be there before the truth comes out? What would have happened to my name and reputation while I remained in custody? In fact that whole night I used the story of Haman and Mordecai in Esther chapter 6 & 7 to pray.
In fact Social Welfare, Unicef and some journalists got involved in the case but fortunately the police didn't allow the journalists to pick the storey but Social welfare was deeply involved.
By 8 O'clock in the morning there were scores of people who had heard of the case and had massed up at the police station in support of me. In fact most of them spent the whole day at the police station (As I would later learn the police couldn't understand why all these people would mass up at the station all because of me and so they begun to ask who I am and what I do in the community).
Well back to the story! At about 1pm I was brought out of cells and we (myself, the little girl, Kofi, my dad, my uncle, one of my flatmates, a Crime Officer, the police commander and another police officer) were locked up in a room for interrogation. At a point they asked the little girl to excuse us. Throughout the almost 1hr 30 minutes interrogation, I was not asked a single question.
Every question was directed at Kofi. He contradicted himself every step of the way. I was also called and interrogated alone and I maintained my position that I was innocent. I told the police how I think this was a ploy by Kofi to extort money from me because he and the girl had accused some Nigerian guys in the apartment some months back of the same issue and they ended up paying him money but eventually the Nigerians left the apartment so I believe I am his next target. And of course this was captured in my statement that I gave to the police the day I was arrested. Other flatmates also came to collaborate my story to the police.
The victim(the girl) was also later called into another room for interrogation and that is where she confessed that I was indeed innocent and that it was her uncle (Kofi) who has been sleeping with her and that she has never even entered my porch let alone my room before and that the demonstration she gave of how I would come knocking on their window when the police brought us home the previous day was a fabrication.
Kofi was immediately arrested and charged with defilement and assault (because he had beaten up the girl to pulp such that when the police first came to the house to arrest me and they asked me if I knew the girl, I said No because I couldn't recognize her plus she was wearing nose mask).
I was released and I came back home that Wednesday evening.
Few days after, he(Kofi) was ejected from the apartment because his rent has expired several months ago. Well it took me two days for me to find a new tenant for the landlord.
Kofi was sent to court within 48 hours and was granted bail but couldn't meet the bail conditions so he was brought back to police custody behind bars while the case has been adjourned to be heard on a later date. His family kept calling and pleading with me to talk to the police so that the case can be withdrawn and brought home but fortunately I did not make any complaints against him so I can't get involved so I couldn't get involved. Few days after I came home, the family came to me again pleading but I maintained that I can't do anything about the case as it is the state that has now charged him and prosecuting him.
My brothers and sisters this is how God delivered me from the evil that someone I considered a friend and have actually bailed him out from many troubles. I would later learned that he had spent a good number of months behind bars and was eventually bailed.
About a month or two ago I was told he didn't appear in court when the case was called and that the police were looking for him.
Not everyone you consider as a friend is a friend indeed. Lord I am grateful for your goodness