German paedophile granted bail

Accra July 10, GNA- Gerland Kusterer, the 79-year-old German tourist, who is standing trial for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old pupil was on Tuesday granted bail.   Kusterer was admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢ 30,000 with three sureties one to be justified.   The Circuit Court presided over by Ms Sedina Agbemava ordered him to deposit his passport with the police and report to the service daily.   The court admitted the accused to bail because the charges against him had been withdrawn, his plea had not been taken on the new charges preferred against him and is ill and old.   When the case was called the trial judge indicated that it had not been able to get a German interpreter for the accused, adding that it was exploring all avenues to secure one.   Following the development, Mr Raymond Bagbanbu, Counsel for Kusterer prayed the court to admit his client to bail because of his ailment and the fact that the accused person was advanced in age and the fact that the police had collected his passport.   Accordingly Kusterer was ready to report to the Police every day.   The matter was adjourned to July 17.   The accused person was previously charged with three counts of abduction of unmarried female under 18, defilement and obscenity.   The new charge sheet maintained the first two charges but the charge of obscenity, which he had pleaded guilty to and was to be sentenced yesterday, was replaced with a new charge of gross indecency.   However, due to the unavailability of an interpreter, the matter has been adjourned to July 10.   The German tourist was arrested by the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) recently for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old pupil.   Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sarah Acquah, narrating the facts, during the German’s first appearance in court, stated that the complainant was a security officer and a brother to the victim who lived with their parents at Amarhia, Accra.   She said at about 1400 hours on May 25, the victim visited the complainant at Korle-Gonno and they went to La Beach.   On reaching there, the victim told the complainant that she was hungry he left her under a summer hat to buy some food for her.   While the victim was waiting for her brother, another man whose name is yet to be ascertained joined her and reportedly engaged her in a conversation.   Kesterer allegedly joined them and bought a bottle of Guinness for the victim while he bought a Star lager beer and they both drank. Later, the undisclosed man allegedly sent the victim to town and shopped for her to entice her.   Kesterer and his accomplice lured the victim to Mascot Hotel, where for days the accused had sexual intercourse with the victim in his room.   At about 1735 hours on June 13, after Kesterer had had sexual intercourse with the victim, he allegedly used his digital camera to take nude pictures of the victim and stored them.   The prosecutor said the victim fell sick and she managed to run away from the hotel room.   When she got home, she narrated her ordeal to her brother who reported the matter to DOVVSU where the complainant was issued with a police medical report form to send the victim to hospital for examination.   The prosecutor said the police, in the company of the complainant and victim, went to Mascot Hotel and arrested the accused.   In Kesterer caution statement, he denied having sexual intercourse with the victim but admitted to taking nude pictures of the victim and other young girls which he stored on his camera.   GNA... Read Full Story