An Accra Circuit Court on Monday adjourned the trial of the alleged mass rape case on the Accra Kumasi Highway to Monday, November 22.
This was after Mr Paul Asibi Abariga, a State Attorney prosecuting had informed the court on Monday that the witnesses were scattered all over the country and needed time to assemble them for trial to commence.
He said investigations were still on-going and not completed but gave the assurance that the trial would commence soon.
Earlier, Mr Abariga had denied that the prosecution failed to appear in court at the previous last sitting, saying "he was late to the
court."
Defence counsel, Mr Andy Appiah-Kubi expressed concern about the manner the prosecution was handling the case.
The presiding judge Mrs Patience Tetteh-Mills adjourning the case said "the court adjourns the matter to November 22, and this
case must be disposed of by Monday, December 20. It should not go beyond this time."
Amina Mohammed, a hairdresser has pleaded not guilty to publication of false news with intent to cause fear and panic and deceit of public officer.
Last Friday, the accused was granted GH�5,000 bail by the Human Rights Court (Fast Track Division) with one surety and asked to appear before the court for trial to commence.
She had earlier on November 2, appeared before the Circuit Court.
The prosecution's case was that Amina lives at Ashaiman, near Tema, and on October 11, this year, she and her mother boarded an Accra-Tamale-Bolgatanga bound bus with registration number GN
263-10 to attend a funeral.
He said the accused alleged that during the journey, they were attacked by armed robbers at Kubease near the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) barrier in the Ashanti Region.
The accused contended that the armed robbers compelled the men on the bus to rape the women, and a man who was traveling with his 14-year-old daughter was forced to defile her.
The prosecutor said the allegation was reported to a radio station and thereafter several radio stations took up the story and published it thereby causing fear and panic.
He said when the driver of the bus was contacted he told the police that on that day, he left Accra with 47 passengers for Bawku through Tamale and Bolgatanga.
The driver said at about 2200 hours he saw a road block mounted by the armed robbers but drove through it and lodged a complaint at the Ejisu Police Station and continued the journey to
his destination.
The prosecutor said Police investigations confirmed that there was an attempted robbery at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, but there was no mass rape as alleged by the accused.