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The Agona Swedru Circuit Court has remanded in custody a 38-year-old machine operator on charges of incest and defilement. Nana Evans Acquah, who pleaded not guilty, was remanded by the court, presided over by Mr N.K.E.Osam, to re-appear before it on February 28, 2013. The suspect was arrested by the police for allegedly defiling his 14-year-old daughter. The suspect, who resides at Woraba Estate, a suburb of Agona Swedru, is reported to have defiled his daughter (name withheld), a primary four pupil, on a number of occasions when the daughter visited him to collect money for school. The victim is said to be residing with her mother at Desuenim also in Swedru. Confirming the incident to the Daily Graphic, the Swedru Divisional Police Crime Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Kennedy Edusei, said the victim claimed that the father had been defiling her since August, 2012. He said the victim said her father often defiled her in the room after giving her GHc2 as upkeep money for school. Mr Edusei said on January 27, 2013, the victim, who was bleeding profusely, fell sick and was taken to the Swedru Government Hospital for medical attention by her mother, Madam Grace Appiah. He said it was after examination by the medical officer that it was detected that the victim had been defiled several times with bruises around her private parts. Mr Edusei said Upon interrogation, the victim mentioned her father as having defiled her on three occasions since August, 2012 anytime she visited him to collect money and subsequently warned her not to mention it to anybody else he would scold her. He explained that due to the threat by her father, the victim claimed she was afraid to inform anybody about her ordeal, not even to her mother, until she was taken ill and her mother took her to the hospital. The Crime Officer said the suspect, however, denied the offence in his caution statement to the police. He further stated that the suspect would be charged with incest and defilement and put before court.