3 Women in police grip for allegedly stealing baby

Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor Jun - 02 - 2014 , 07:40 2 minutes read

Another baby facility in Kumasi has been rocked by a baby-theft scandal.

This time around, the baby-theft saga has reared its head at the Kumasi Children’s Home where three women have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the sale of a baby at the home.

The suspects are Grace Osei Afriyie, owner of the Ayiwaah Maternity Home at New Suame; Comfort Adjei-Kyem, a typist at the Kumasi Children’s Home, and Cecilia Annor, a trader at the Kumasi Polytechnic.

Grace is alleged to have sold the baby to Cecilia for GH¢3,500, through Comfort’s assistance.

The three, who are being held on charges of human trafficking, are currently in the custody of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the police.

Last February, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital could not account for five stillborns, but a 42-year-old Madam Suwaiba Mumuni disputed the claims by the hospital authorities that they could not trace the whereabouts of the stillborns.

She felt her baby had been stolen. The Ministry of Health sanctioned some of the officials of the hospital for the apparent negligence of duty.

Briefing

Briefing the press, the Ashanti Regional Head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ms Regina Eleanor Mintah, said Cecilia, who wanted to adopt a baby, contacted the Kumasi Children’s Home for assistance.

She explained that while Cecilia searched for a baby to adopt, she at the same time posed as a pregnant woman.

She said Cecilia met Comfort at the children’s home, who took GH¢500 from Cecilia for the adoption forms.

According to Ms Mintah, Comfort later called Cecilia that the baby was ready and took her to Grace at the Ayiwaah Maternity Home, where the baby was handed over to her.

She said GH¢3,500 was received from Cecilia’s husband, who is yet to be interrogated by the police.