Joyce Ashieley and Lamiley Mills [the two suspected baby thieves in police custody]
Two persons have appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing a two-month-old baby at James Town.
They are Joyce Ashieley and Lamiley Mills, both traders.
The two, according to the prosecution, led by Detective Inspector Kofi Atimbiri, conspired to steal the baby from her mother at James Town in Accra on July 8, 2016.
The accused persons, who appeared before the court, presided over by Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, denied the charges.
They were admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢70,000 with three sureties each. The case was adjourned until August 24.
The trial judge also ordered that the name of Lamiley Mills be amended to Gladys Koranteng.
She said the accused had presented a medical report from Korle Bu Hospital with the said name.
This was after Niibi Ayibontey, lawyer for the accused, had said that Lamiley Mills is called Gladys Koranteng but bears the name of her grandmother.
While praying for bail, Niibi Ayibontey suggested that the named be corrected.
The prosecutor told the court that the complainant Joyce Commey is unemployed and a nursing mother residing at James Town while Ashieley is the fiancée of the complainant’s father but lives at Atukpai, a suburb of Accra.
Lamiley Mills used to live in the same vicinity with Ashieley and the father.
On July 3, this year at about 5:30 pm, Ashieley met Lamiley at a spot in Bukom and told her that she wanted to discuss something issues with her.
D/Insp. Atimbiri said the two persons later met in the night at Bukom and Ashieley told Lamiley Mills, who was in need of a baby, that she lent some money to her fiancé to see to the discharge of Joyce after she delivered but her fiancé had failed to pay back the money.
The prosecutor said Ashieley asked Mills to pay GH¢400 for her to invest in her business in exchange for the baby.
He said Lamiley Mills agreed and at about 2:30 am on July 8, the accused persons again met at Bukom and walked to the house of the complainant’s father, adding that Ashieley went into the room of her fiancé and picked the baby boy, who was lying besides the mother.
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
jeffdegraft44@yahoo.com