Bob Okalla In Big Trouble

He faces rape charge THE Nkoranza District Police Command has initiated the process to charge and subsequently arrest ace comedian, Bishop Bob Okalla, for allegedly defiling a 15-year-old girl.Also to be charged for allegedly abetting the crime are comedians Judas, Asase Aban, Cocoa Tea and Teacher Ateato. Judas is alleged to have offered the victim ¢20,000 as “settlement,” while the three others are alleged to have vacated their hotel room they shared with Okalla to facilitate the act.According to Superintendent Ben Wiafe, Nkoranza District Police Commander, his outfit will forward its findings to the Brong Ahafo Regional Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) which will decide whether to prosecute on the basis of evidence available. This is because the alleged victim is a juvenile. The incident alleged to have occurred on October 10, 2002, only caught the attention of the police last Saturday, January 4, through the “rescue” action of the Omanhene of Nkoranza Traditional Area, Okatakyie Agyeman Kudom IV. The chief, who is a retired professional nurse and currently a member of the Brong Ahafo Regional Medical Board became alarmed when someone told him about the plight of a girl in the town who had been very sick for six weeks after allegedly being defiled by Bob Okalla. Okatakyie Kudom first summoned the alleged victim and her family to his palace to establish the truth of the allegation. After he had also listened to a security guard at the hotel where the alleged incident occurred, the chief personally informed the District Police Commander. According to Mr Wiafe the Omanhene's action was timely as it would have been technically difficult to press charges against the alleged perpetrator in another week when the three months within which such a case must be brought up would have elapsed. The police has since taken the alleged victim's statement and given her a medical form to see a doctor to ascertain whether her sickness which involves continuous bleeding from her private parts might be the result of her alleged ordeal.The District Commander deplored the attitude of those who knew of the alleged incident but failed to inform the police, and thereby denied the child prompt medical attention. The mother of the girl told Okatakyie Kudom that she was reluctant to go to the police because she did not have the money to take her child to the hospital which she knew she would be asked to do. The Omanhene subsequently gave he her money to take the child to the hospital.The facts of the case, as reported to the police, are that the comedian, popularly known as Bishop Bob Okalla, arrived at Nkoranza on October 10 to do a concert party theatre performance with other comedians at the Mikesap Hotel. Around sunset, Okalla in the company of his colleagues; Asase Aban, Cocoa Tea and Teacher Ateato are alleged to have entered a drinking bar known as Aben Wo Ha. The comedians' presence attracted an anxious crowd, including the girl, who wanted to catch a glimpse of their popular TV stars. Okalla is alleged to have called the girl who is a JSS 2 pupil to join their car and direct them to where they could find some food to eat. On their way back, Okalla, who had given the girl three cooked eggs to hold for him, allegedly asked her to accompany him an and his colleagues to the hotel which is not far from her house. It took the comedian some effort to coax the girl to bring the eggs to his room, by which time, the other three were already in the room. On seeing Okalla enter with the girl, however, his colleagues allegedly left to allow him the privacy they felt he required. The comical bishop is alleged to have locked the door and attempted to have sex with the girl. The girl claims that initially she screamed and struggled with Okalla but nobody went to her rescue until she was overpowered. She also told the police that although Okalla found it difficult to enter her, which caused her to scream and scream, he persisted until he succeeded. After the ordeal, the girl alleges to have felt pain in her abdomen which compelled her to sit in a chair while Okalla watched her from the bed on which he sprawled. Later, it is alleged that Asase Aban knocked on the door for Okalla to open it. When the other comedians realised what had happened, they asked the girl to go out and wait for them until the evening's performance was over. While outside, the girl saw two young men she knew to whom she narrated her ordeal. The two men were however allegedly prevented from going to the police by the promoter and other artistes present who promised to settle the matter the next morning.Her mother was out of town so the girl went to Mikesap Hotel the next morning with her elder sister. They were told by the other actors that Okalla had left but Judas offered ¢20,000 to her. One of the security guards at Mikesap Hotel, Osei Boateng, told the police that he saw the girl at the front gate of the hotel on the morning of October 11. He claims the girl told him she wanted to see Okalla. Puzzled, he wondered what she wanted the comedian for From what the girl told him he was so touched that he decided to go to the police.

However, when the big sister joined her, the guard alleged the sisters were invited by the comedians aside and he saw them receiving money from Judas but could not tell how much. When they left quietly afterwards without telling him anything, he thought the girls were satisfied with whatever that had transpired between them and the comedians and decided not to call the police afterall.

When Showbiz contacted Okalla last Tuesday he denied having done any such thing. He admitted that he was in Nkoranza for a performance but said that the performance went well and he left Nkoranza the day after. The first time he heard the rape allegation, he said, was the next day when he was informed by his colleagues that some people were accusing him of having slept with a girl so they (his colleagues) had given them money to cool them down in the name of peace.

Okalla said he was not happy about the gesture of his colleagues and told them that he should have been contacted first before giving out any money since he was innocent. Okalla said that he is surprised at the turn out of events after almost three months. “God knows I am innocent,” he added