Father jailed 10 years for attempted sale of son
The Fiapre Circuit Court in the Sunyani West District in the Brong Ahafo Region has sentenced a 28-year-old unemployed man to 10 years’ imprisonment for attempting to sell his four-year-old son for GH¢9,000.
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The accused, Emmanuel Nenapo, who had initially pleaded not guilty to the offence of human trafficking, changed his plea to guilty when he appeared before the court last Friday.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Benjamin Osei Yaw, subsequently convicted him on his own plea.
The court gave custody of the child to the Social Welfare Department.
Prosecuting, Chief Superintendent Frederick Kwaku Agyei told the court that the complainant in the case was Evans Tabiri, a resident of the Sunyani Airport Residential Area, while the accused is also a resident of Chiraa in the Sunyani West District.
The prosecutor said about 9 a.m. on December 3, 2012, Tabiri was trimming his flowers in his house when he was approached by Nenapo, whom he had never met before.
He said Nenapo introduced himself to the complainant and said he needed a job, but the complainant told him that he had no job to offer him.
Chief Supt Agyei told the court that Nenapo then told the complainant that he wanted to discuss something with the complainant but he was a bit afraid to do so.
He said Tabiri told the accused to open up and tell him what the problem was.
The accused then told Tabiri that he had a four-year-old son whom he was offering for sale and wanted to know if the complainant would buy him.
The prosecutor said the complainant, who was initially surprised at the offer, later pretended to be interested.
After an initial agreement on the sale of the child, Nenapo left, but the complainant quickly informed the police about the intentions of the accused.
Chief Supt Agyei said about 6.45 p.m. on December 7, 2012, the complainant was in his house when the accused arrived with his son.
Tabiri then informed the police, who responded quickly and arrested Nenapo.