Scrap Dealer Faces Court Over Alleged Defilement and HIV Transmission

October 19, 2025

A 38-year-old scrap dealer has appeared before the Akyem Swedru Circuit Court on serious charges including defilement of a minor, abduction, and willful transmission of HIV.

Haruna Ishaq stands accused of defiling a 15-year-old first-year student from St Francis Senior High School. The accused has pleaded not guilty to all three charges brought against him.

Presiding Judge Mrs Akosua Ataa Nyarko granted Ishaq bail set at GH¢60,000 with three sureties to be justified. The accused is scheduled to reappear in court on October 23, 2025, for trial proceedings.

According to prosecution statements, the incident began on April 26, 2025, when the victim's mother, a trader at Oda New Lorry Park who sells iced kenkey and sobolo, sent her daughter to sell drinks. The teenager failed to return home for three consecutive days.

Following an intensive search conducted by the girl's friends, Ishaq allegedly released the victim after becoming aware that her mother was looking for her. The matter was formally reported to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service at Oda on April 30, 2025.

During police interrogation, the victim disclosed that she was held for three days during which the accused had sexual intercourse with her. Following his arrest, Ishaq initially admitted in his caution statement to being in a romantic relationship with the girl and confessed to both abduction and defilement.

A subsequent medical examination conducted at Oda Government Hospital confirmed the defilement and revealed that the victim had been infected with HIV.

The accused was remanded in police custody twice before the bail hearing. Defence counsels Nana Asare-Djikunu and Richard Offin successfully argued for bail on health grounds, citing their client's need for medical attention.

Despite his earlier admission in the caution statement to police, Ishaq entered a not guilty plea when he appeared before the court.

The case has drawn attention to issues of child protection and sexual violence against minors in the Eastern Region. The victim, a first-year senior high school student, now faces the challenge of living with HIV while pursuing her education.

Legal proceedings are expected to continue on October 23, 2025, when the case returns to court for trial.