A lawyer and an orphanage proprietress have been sentenced to three years each by the Accra Circuit Court, for deceiving a married couple, to release their one-year old child for adoption.
Additionally, the lawyer, David Opare Asiedu, and the proprietress, Elizabeth Arthur Adjei, alias Maa Lizy, were ordered by the court on Wednesday to pay GH¢12,000 and GH¢6,000 respectively as fines.
Elizabeth, was charged with defrauding by false pretence while Asiedu was charged with abetment.
This was after they had presented an electrician, Benjamin Kofi Okyere, with an opportunity to travel abroad, but ended up giving his one-year old son for adoption to a white man, at his blind side.
A driver, Prince Armah, also known as Paa Kwasi, son of Elizabeth, and an alleged accomplice is on the run.
Assistant Superintendent of Police(ASP) Emmanuel Nyamekye, told the court presided over by Mrs Susana Eduful that the complainant in the matter was Benjamin Kofi Okyere.
He said Armah, who was friends with the complainant, in April 2015, told him (complainant) that there was a job opportunity for a family in Canada and he was looking for an interested family to take up that opportunity.
ASP Nyamekye said that Armah informed Okyere that Elizabeth would facilitate the documentation for the travel.
“The complainant expressed interest as the opportunity would enable him to travel with his family. Paa Kwesi went ahead to introduce complainant to Elizabeth.
“Complainant was asked to pay GH¢5,000 which would be used to procure the passports and other travel documents,” he told the court.
ASP Nyamekye said complainant was able to pay GH¢4,400.00 as part payment and was introduced to Asiedu, a former Director of Social Welfare, in the Central Region, by Elizabeth as the director who would assist in documentation.
He said “After waiting for a while, Elizabeth called complainant and informed him that the documentation were all ready but complainant’s wife could not travel because she had become pregnant and could only travel after delivery.”
ASP Nyamekye said that Elizabeth informed complainant that there was a problem with his passport and he could only travel after three days.
Instead, according to ASP Nyamekye, Elizabeth informed complainant that his son, who was a year and six months at the time, could travel because there was nothing wrong with his document and that the white man would take them to Canada.
He said Elizabeth made the promise to the complainant, adding that the complainant decided to confront Elizabeth, who directed him to Asiedu.
“Complainant went to the office of Asiedu, who handed over a document to him (complainant) and asked him to keep it until his travel documents were ready,” ASP Nyamekye said.
He said complainant was not convinced by Asiedu’s explanation, and, therefore, showed the document to a friend who, after reading it, revealed that his child had been adopted by the white man.
ASP Nyamekye said complainant reported the case at Devtraco Police Station, leading to the arrest of Elizabeth and Asiedu.
BY NANA BENTSI ODURO
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