How Taxi Driver Raped Varsity Student At Kato

A 20-year-old taxi driver, Richmond Osei, has been remanded in prison custody for allegedly raping a female university student who boarded his car at Kato.

A Sunyani District Court, presided over by Fred Obikyere, did not take his plea and remanded him to come back to court on March 9.

Prosecuting, Inspector Bismarck Tsewu told the court that Osei, with taxi cab registration number BA -1140 -17, lived at Kato near Berekum in the Bono Region, and the complainant was a student in one of the universities in the Sunyani municipality.

He told the court that on February 12 at about 9:30 pm, the complainant boarded Osei's cab at her university entrance to Fiapre but forgot to inform Osei of where she would get off, so she failed to alight at her destination till they reached Nsoatre.

Upon realizing she had gone past her destination, the complainant informed the driver and pleaded with him to return her to Fiapre, but Osei refused and insisted they had gone far so she should continue the journey to Berekum where she could board another taxi back to Sunyani. Besides, Osei claimed he didn't have enough fuel in the car to return to Fiapre.

He then sent her to the Sunyani Station at Berekum and went away; the student joined another taxi. But while waiting for other passengers to join the car, Osei came back and told the complainant that he was going back to Sunyani so she should join him in his car which she obliged.

On reaching Kato, Osei stopped, parked at the roadside and went into his house leaving the lady in the taxi for some minutes.

The accused person later returned and told the complainant that there was a chieftaincy dispute at Kato which has brought insecurity and, therefore, she should come out from the car and follow him to his house so that after he had finished with whatever he was doing they would continue the journey to Sunyani, but she initially did not pay heed to what he said.

Subsequently, Osei convinced her, took her to his room and forcibly had sexual intercourse with her.

After the act, the prosecutor said Osei drove her to Fiapre, apologized and dropped her off.

The complainant then asked for his phone number which Osei willingly gave to her and she subsequently reported the incident to the Sunyani Police, with a torn belt and blood-soaked underwear as evidence.

Therefore, Osei was picked up by the police on February 13 and charged with rape, contrary to section 97 of Criminal Offences Act, Act 29, 1960.

---Daily Guide