Acquittal in case of sex charges brought against man in St. John's court
CBC News | Posted: November 29, 2024 8:56 PM | Last Updated: November 29
Yosief Tesfamicael faced 6 charges including sexual assault
Yosief Tesfamicael, who had faced six charges of sexual assault, sexual interference and unlawfully making sexually explicit material available to a child, was acquitted in a St. John's court.
In a written decision released Friday, Justice Glen Noel said he found reasonable doubt on the totality of evidence that led to an acquittal.
Tesfamicael's case made provincial news this winter.
His ride-hailing company, Redsea Riding, was the first in Newfoundland and Labrador to receive a licence to operate.
The province made that announcement on Jan. 19, but later that same day learned about "additional information" — believed to be the criminal charges.
Critics said the province hastily approved the licence in order to get ride-hailing service off the ground and didn't do its due diligence or background checks.
Sarah Stoodley, the minister of Digital Government and Service N.L. at the time, said Tesfamicael didn't submit a background check because he wasn't applying to be a driver.
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