The leadership of Aiyinasi Guardian Angel Catholic Church in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region has refuted claims making rounds in the media that an Elder of the church has allegedly defiled a 17-year-old first-year Senior High School student at Aiyinasi.
It will be recalled that on September 19, 2022, a reporter for 3news.com, Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson reported that an Elder of Aiyinasi Catholic Church, Nana Kojo has defiled a 17-year-old SHS girl whilst casting out a bad spirit from her.
Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson reported that "The teenager (name withheld) who claims to be a virgin before visiting the house of the herbalist, in an interview, confirmed that the herbalist has slept with her three different times in the name of casting a bad spirit from her".
Speaking to the newsmen at Aiyinasi on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, the Church Secretary and a member of the Guardian Angel Catholic Church Parish Priest and the Catechist Association, Stephen A. Blay stated that the Catholic Church across the globe does not have any position called Elder in the church.
He said the news report that an Elder of the church has defiled a teenage virgin is not true.
He disclosed that the leadership of the church knows Nana Kojo as a member but not an Elder or a Catechist of the church.
"Our attention has been drawn to the social media issue pertaining to an Elder/Catechist of the Aiyinasi Catholic Church concerning an alleged defilement of an 11-year-old virgin," he said.
He added that "The Parish Priest, the Catechist Association, and the church executive want to state clearly that such allegation is never true and is falsified. Nana Kojo is a member of the church and does not hold any position in the church as stated in the reportage".
He also disclosed that "Nana Kojo was not born in Aiyinasi but joined the church some six months ago and the leadership of the church does not know he is a herbalist because when you go to his house nothing shows that he is a herbalist".
Nana Kojo has told the police that he didn't defile the girl in question and since Nana Kojo has denied the allegation leveled against him, we the leadership of the church call for an independent investigation also as a church we don't support any bad act but we are calling on the public to discard the news making rounds that Nana Kojo is an Elder of the church, he is just a member of the church and he is not even a resident of Aiyinasi".
Stephen Blay revealed that the leadership of the church has decided to take legal action against Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson, the reporter for 3news.com for defaming the church.
"In fact, let me disclose to you that the leadership of the church has decided to take legal action against the reporter for 3news.com and Connect FM, Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson for tarnishing the high-earned reputation of the church. This Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi who stays in Takoradi didn't consult us to know whether Nana Kojo holds any position in the church or not, he just sat in Takoradi to write anything about the church."
"Let me also put it on record that the Ellembelle District Social Welfare Director has not even visited the church at Aiyinasi ever since the incident occurred so we find this as an attempt to tarnish the image of Aiyinasi Guardian Angel Church", he emphasized.
"We the leadership and the entire members of the church are calling on Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson to apologize to the church and let his apology be published on GhanaWeb since his publication was also published on GhanaWeb," he concluded.
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