Outrage as accused Uber driver rapist posts bail without turning in passport & flees country

A Massachusetts woman is speaking out days after her accused rapist was allowed to post bond, resulting in him fleeing to Ghana to avoid prosecution.

Emily Murray told WFXT that Uber driver Frederick Amfo raped her in the back of his car on April 8. Amfo allegedly had dropped off another customer and locked the car doors before assaulting Murray.

WFXT reported that Amfo was arrested after DNA was taken from a rape kit and his car. On Friday, a court set his bond at $10,000 and ordered he turn over his passport within 24 hours if he made bond.

Amfo, who pleaded not guilty, made bond that afternoon but, instead of turning over his passport, Murray learned Monday afternoon that he had fled to his native country of Ghana. Since then, Immigration and Customs also revealed that Amfo was in the U.S. illegally, WFXT reported.

“If I went to Ghana and I committed a crime, I wouldn’t expect to be able to hop on a plane and say sorry about that, here’s some money. I would expect to answer for it. Accountability. And there has been just zero,” Murray said.

In a statement issued to the Boston Globe, Uber called Amfo’s alleged actions “unacceptable” and said they’ve removed Amfo from the app.

Documents obtained by The Patriot Ledger revealed that several errors allowed for Amfo’s escape. Norfolk County Sheriff’s office spokesman David Weber said that sheriffs at the county jail requested documents from Quincy District Court stating that Amfo must surrender his passport as a condition of his release because the original documents didn’t mention turning over his passport. What they received was new court instructions, reportedly stating that Amfo had 24 hours after his release to relinquish his passport.

The local paper noted that original paperwork didn’t include the 24-hour grace period.

“We followed the instructions of the court,” Weber told The Ledger.

Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said he was “extremely disappointed” that this breakdown in communication at Quincy District Court facilitated Amfo’s fleeing to Ghana.

However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman John Mohan said Amfo shouldn’t have been released in the first place as the agency filed a federal immigration detainer for Amfo with Weymouth police that Friday. According to the newspaper, Mohan claimed police said the detainer was forwarded to Quincy District Court.

Not touching on ICE’s allegations, Massachusetts Trial Court announced new protocol for detainees ordered to surrender their passports as a condition of their release. The statement reads in part:

“A review of the circumstances indicates that the court allowed the defendant to be released without first surrendering his passport, providing him 24 hours to do so. As a result of this review, the court has now implemented procedures to ensure that defendants who are ordered by the court to surrender their passports surrender them when they post bail and prior to their release.”

 

[Featured Image: Frederick Amfo/Weyworth Police]