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Mr. Frank Adu-Poku – EOCO boss
A joint operation by the Office of Economic and Organized Crime (EOCO) and the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana (MDC) led to the arrest of 11 people suspected of being involved in the removal of babies and human trafficking in certain health establishments in the Greater Accra Region.
Those arrested include two doctors, four nurses, two mothers, two social workers and a traditional birth attendant.
The operation also saved two baby boys aged four months and less than one month who were offered for sale at GH ¢ 30,000 and GH ¢ 28,000 each to undercover investigators.
Suspects
The two doctors are Dr Hope Mensah Quashie from Military Hospital 37, which also owns the Susan Clinic, a private health facility at Lartebiokorshie in Accra, and Dr Noah Kofi Lartey, a doctor from the Department of Obstetricians and Gynecology from the Greater Accra region. Hospital, Ridge, which also operates a private hospital known as Dangbe Community Hospital in Prampram.
The four alleged nurses are Sylvia Awuseh, John Adorey Effie, Angela Ametepe and Bernice Afor, all of whom work with Dr Quashie in his private hospital.
The traditional birth attendant, identified as Dede Gifty Anikpi from Bethlehem Maternity Hospital in Santoe, a suburb of Kpone Katamanso, also reportedly referred one of the mothers whose babies were sold to the Susan Clinic.
The two social workers are Leonard Agbley and Doris Badu, both from Tema General Hospital.
Withdrawal of licenses
In the meantime, the licenses of the two doctors have been withdrawn by the MDC and the council said their names would be struck off the register if convicted by a competent court.
Report
Informing reporters, EOCO Executive Director, Police Commissioner Mr. Frank Adu-Poku (ret.), Said the operation started in February 2020 and was still ongoing, as there were more wanted accomplices.
He said the operation was based on a clue from a taxi driver, who suspected that two women who had hired his services may have purchased a baby at a health facility as a result of their conversation while they were in his vehicle.
Stop
Mr Adu-Poku said that following the taxi driver’s denunciation, a joint investigation team infiltrated, which led to Agbley’s arrest, after he agreed to sell a baby to some investigators for GH ¢ 28,000.
Agbley reportedly took the team to Tema General Hospital, where a woman, identified as Nancy Obaa Yaa, delivered the baby.
Obaa Yaa is currently on the run.
Further investigation showed that she was the mastermind behind the sale of the baby.
On January 4, 2021, the baby’s mother was arrested, along with Badu, who said the baby had been provided by Dr Lartey for sale.
Dr Lartey was arrested on January 5 of this year.
While the investigation was ongoing, the mother of the second baby was arrested on January 19, 2021. Her identity was withheld by EOCO to facilitate its investigation.
Conditions
Mr Adu-Poku said it was possible that the suspects, in some cases, deceived the mothers, after the mothers gave birth to their babies, that the babies died and took the opportunity to offer these babies for sale.
In other cases, he said, mothers who had become vulnerable because the men who impregnated them refused to take responsibility were encouraged by suspects to donate their babies for sale.
Public insurance
The COEO Executive Director assured the public that the two agencies would continue to work together to protect public health and safety by preventing and detecting organized crime.
He thanked the Ghana Police Service and other stakeholders for their cooperation, especially the public, in providing information leading to the arrest of the suspects.
Mr. Adu-Poku urged the public to continue providing timely information that could lead to the arrest of others suspected of being involved in the illegal sale of babies.
He said there were arrangements to make sure the taxi driver was rewarded for providing credible information and helping uncover the crime.
Serious offenses
MDC Acting Registrar Dr Divine N. Banyubala said the suspects’ actions were serious offenses and in the case of the doctors the council had withdrawn their licenses, while the other consequences of their actions would depend on the result. of a trial.
“The medical profession is an honorable, noble and learned profession and their names will be struck off our register if they go through a trial and we have proof of conviction,” he said.
He expressed the hope that the arrest of the suspects would enhance public confidence in the profession and the work of the two institutions.
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