Retired Midwife, 3 Others Busted For Sale Of Babies
Four persons, including a retired midwife, allegedly involved in the stealing and sale of babies at Atuabo and Half Assin in the Western Region, have been nabbed by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB).
An Accra Circuit Court, on Tuesday, remanded the four into the custody of the NIB.
The accused person are Cynthia Beyejen, a 63-year-old retired midwife/nurse, Sylvester Quarshie Nyamekeh, a mason, Ediemu Bozoma, a 55-year-old trader, Cynthia Quarshie, a private security personnel and one Mr. Quashie now at large.
Beyejen is facing two counts of child stealing whilst the others are being held for abetment and hindrance to inquest.
They have all pleaded not guilty and were remanded into the custody of the NIB to reappear on November 10, and the NIB directed to offer the accused persons access to their lawyers.
Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Simon Apiosornu, told the court to remand the accused persons into custody pending further investigations.
The prosecutor said the police had received further tip-offs, which would lead to the arrest of some more persons and vehemently opposed the grant of bail, saying it was premature.
The prosecution said one of the babies found was still on admission at the Police Hospital in Accra and that the accused persons could interfere with investigations.
Yaw Dankwah, who represented Nyamekeh, Bozoma and Cynthia Quashie, had said his clients were no flight risk and would not interfere with the investigation.
He said the accused persons had been in the custody of NIB for one month and that it was becoming difficult for them (lawyers) to get access to their clients while in the custody of NIB.
George Asamaney, who represented Beyeden, said the accused persons could be granted bail whilst investigations went on.
He said his client had grown lean in the NIB custody and pleaded for them to be kept in the custody of the police.
The court, presided over by Her Honour Evelyn Asamoah, said considering the fact that one of the children had died and the fact that another child was on admission, it could not grant the accused persons bail for now.
Case Facts
Narrating the facts, Chief Inspector Apiorsornu, said NIB, acting on intelligence, arrested Cynthia Beyejen, Ediemu Bozoma, Cynthia Quarshie and Sylvester Quarshie Nyamekeh in the Western Region.
The prosecution said Sylvester Quarshie Nyamekeh was arrested after he tried to offer a seven month baby boy for sale at GH¢80,000 at Atuabo to an undercover NIB personnel.
He said the Bureau’s Agent had feigned interest in buying the said victim and arrested the suspect in the process.
The prosecution said Sylvester did all the negotiation on phone with the agent and even sent recorded video of the late victim, a 10-day-old baby girl to show that he was into the business of baby selling.
Sylvester mentioned Beyejen, a retired midwife as his source, the prosecution narrated.
The prosecution said investigations revealed that Bozoma and Cynthia Quarshie had been assisting Sylvester Quarshie Nyamekeh in the illegal business.
It said Bozoma and Cynthia Quarshie had been keeping and taking care of the victims in their homes and later given to Sylvester Quarshie Nyamekeh for ‘disposal’.
According to the prosecutor, it was also established that the late victim was with Ediemu Bozoma, Cynthia Quarshie and one Mr. Quarshie, who is now at large, and that they claimed the victim, Nhyira, died whilst with them at home.
It said Bozoma had informed Cynthia Beyejen of the death of Nhyira, and Beyejen ordered Bozoma, Cynthia Quarshie and Mr. Quashie, now at large, to bury Nhyira without reporting to the authorities.
GNA