A Cape Coast Circuit Court hearing the alleged incest case involving the Central Regional Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress, Emmanuel Kwesi Dawood, has adjourned the case to January 26, 2022.

Lawyers for the accused called for an adjournment in the trial to enable them to establish consistency in the victim’s evidence in chief and the prosecutor’s fact sheet.

The court, presided over by Ms Dorinda Smith Arthur, subsequently adjourned the case to January 26, 2022.

The court was to sit for the cross-examination of the victim and other witnesses to the case yesterday but the victim and other witnesses were unavailable.

Background

Dawood is standing trial for allegedly having consistent sex with his daughter since 2019, impregnating her in the process.

The prosecuting officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr Daniel Gadzor, said the complainant (the mother of the girl), in June, filed a complaint with DOVVSU at Agona Swedru after her daughter informed her of her ordeal.

According to the prosecutor, the mother said the girl (name withheld) told her Dawood had been having sex with her since 2019.

The prosecutor said when Dawood got to know the girl was pregnant, he took her to a certain doctor for an abortion.

Victim’s narration

The alleged victim, during her evidence-in-chief at the last hearing, revealed that Kwesi Dawood, aged 40, was her biological father who had had consistent sexual encounters with her.

She said in 2019, the accused lured her into his matrimonial home and informed her that he used to love her mother so much but their love went sour; hence he wanted to replace the love for the mother with her by dating her.

She said she declined but Dawood went ahead and forcibly had sexual intercourse with her in his matrimonial room at Agona Swedru.

“After the act, my father promised to send me abroad only if I did not disclose the ordeal to anyone, but if I did, he would make my life very miserable,” she said.

According to her, they became sexual partners and their last sexual act was in June, 2021 at Agona Swedru.

“In 2020, I got pregnant but my father took me to Atta Mensah, a friend of his, to abort the pregnancy and I informed the school counsellor about all that had happened,” she said.

The alleged victim said when the accused heard she had informed the school counsellor, he attacked and subjected her to severe beatings but she managed to run away to her grandmother.