The attorney for the Mesa-based doctor who was arrested and charged with sexual abuse yesterday claims the charges are baseless and that police failed to complete a full investigation before charging her client.
Among other claims, Jan M. Buescher, the attorney for Doctor Gabriel Ogbonnaya, tells New Times she believes the Mesa Police Department didn't bother to question office staff who would normally be in the examination room when Ogbonnaya had patient.
"Dr. Ogbonnaya has been a respected doctor for 19 years," Buescher
says. "That entire time it's been his policy to have a member of his
staff in the room."
Mesa police Detective Steve Berry tells New Times he isn't sure whether office staff was questioned prior to the charges.
"We absolutely had probable cause to arrest Dr. Ogbonnaya," Berry says.
"We don't just put people in jail without probable cause."
Buescher says she also believes the two victims in the case may have
known each other, which could indicate they may have had a motive to
implicate the doctor.
Those claims, however, are apparently based on little more than a hunch.
Buescher says the claims are "based on a brief discussion with the lead
detective -- because he answered in such a way that suggests it needs
to be investigated."
Buescher says the victim's claims are "so vague in nature -- without any information into what their motives might be."
Berry says as far as he knows the two victims don't know each other and
points out that the first thing the doctor said when confronted in his
office by police was "I'm under arrest" -- then he lawyered up.
Buescher, obviously, thinks her client is will be vindicated.
"We are confident that once all of the facts are known, after a proper
and thorough investigation, my Client will be found NOT GUILTY of any
wrongdoing whatsoever," she says.
Click here for our prior post outlying all the vagina-tapping details found in the probable cause statement against Ogbonnaya.
