News

Sports

Business

Entertainment

GhanaWeb TV

Africa

Opinions

Country

Comment: What DNA can do - Alfred Ogbamey writes

Alfred Ogbamey

Sat, 30 Nov 2013 Source: peacefmonline.com

News went viral this week that former Ghana International Odartey Lamptey, after a Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test, shockingly found out that all three children he had with his wife, Gloria are not his biological children.

The DNA conducted (twice) to establish the real paternity of the kids came out with a jaw dropping conclusion that the three kids do not belong to Lamptey.

The bizarre twist has set the 20 year old marriage on rocks with the Ghana International said to be in court filing for divorce.

Odartey Lamptey, who was hailed as the new Pelé, and who through no fault of his, even had age limit rules in Belgium changed to allow him debut at the age of 16 for Anderlecht, told Adakabre Frimpong Manso on NEAT FM that he thought his three daughters were his biological children until a DNA test proved otherwise.

“...I thought they were my children but upon a DNA test, I got know that they are not my biological children,” the former ace footballer disclosed.

“The issue is in court... it is a legal issue I don’t want to go into now....but I am 100% sure that the children are not mine after 20-years.

“We had five children but two passed away so it is left with only 3,” he confirmed to NEAT FM.

The story, among others, has been the subject of discussion this past week with one renowned legal practitioner positing Odartey could be "liable for condoning marital fraud".

Lawyer Kwame Akuffo insists Lamptey has no right to tongue lash his wife in public and accuse her of being a serial seductress, especially, when he had condoned such behavior for several years.

He told AsempaFM, as captured by Myjoyonline that while he sympathizes with the ex-Ghana star, Odartey's comments have not only "scandalised the kids for life" but he may well be held liable for "condoning marital fraud" if he dares goes to court.

He explained Nii Lamptey cannot belatedly accuse his wife of being a seductress, when he had slept with her and ostensibly fathered children by her.

He said the player could not "approbate and reprobate", cautioning him to rather remain quiet in the interest of the children who under the circumstances may now be described as "household children."

Commenting on the DNA, which was basis for the scandal, Akuffo said DNAs are mostly considered "expert evidence", which are not binding in the court of law.

Seasoned journalist and Managing Editor of the Gye Nyame Concord, Alfred Ogbamey, also shared his thoughts on the issue of DNA and marital affairs on his FACEBOOK Wall. Peacefmonline reproduces his remarks for cherished visitors because it makes interesting reading.

"Just thinking. Odartey alleges infidelity on the part of the wife and passing-off of someone’s kids as his. In response the wife says the man is sterile and that the passing-off was done with the man’s consent.

Humans are not angels and we all have our faults. I’ve known that some women do this in gh. I personally know of seven such cases. In two cases, the husbands do not even know as of now. In those two unrelated cases, the wives, families and some trusted friends are still strategizing on how to break the news to the husbands who are awaiting DNA test results to enable their wives and kids join them outside the country.

The DNA results are out. But the women are afraid to take them to the embassies cos they are afraid it would lead to a breakdown of the marriages before they even set eyes on the airport. Meantime, the husbands keep piling on the pressure for the DNA results to speed up the emigration process. Unaware, of course, that the excuses for the non-results of some of the kids' tests are manufactured. In one of the cases, the woman knew the truth. The other didn’t. She genuinely believed the kids were that of the husband and had not thought that a short-lived affair at a funeral outside Accra could get her into later trouble. Now she knows the truth and it's haunting her. In her case, the second out of three children does not belong to the hubby, who is in Europe.

As for the other woman, she actually knew that the first and third children were not that of the husband. Though she claimed they were fathered by an ex, it appears those two children may well have different fathers cos they are strikingly distinct. I know cos I’m involved as a friend of at least one of the husbands in finding ways of breaking the news. The husband is becoming increasing agitated and putting pressure on the embassy and the wife for the DNA test results. He wants to come down and get it done himself.

In another case, the last child and the first son were not children of a of a medical doctor l know. He nearly went mad. Out of the three kids, only the middle one was biologically his. It promptly led to a divorce.

In another case, a visa lottery led to an exposure that a 19-year old son of a Ghanaian-american was fighting to relocate to the states wasn't his. Rather a year-old twins born out of a one night stand at Odorkor, Accra, during a holiday in Ghana from New York that he claimed could not be his, were his. He had always believed the 19-year-old, who was the result of his wild teenage years, was genuinely his. On the other hand, he saw the mother of the twins, whom he had a one-night stand with as a gold digger who wanted to use him as a meal ticket to the States by claiming he was responsible for her pregnancy.

The former wife and mother of the 19-year old was dead by the time the DNA established the truth of him not being the biological father. So had the grandmother who could help with tracing who the real biological father could be. Fortunately, the man, whom l met in the States in 2004, hired lawyers, fought and adopted the 19-year-old and relocated him stateside. But when l met the boy then, he had become depressed from the knowledge of his birth circumstance despite the love the father he now knew wasn't his dad continually showered on him. For the man, he took consolation in the fact that he had twins who were also biologically his and a woman whom he initially misjudged.

In Odartey Lamptey's case, Gloria claims the husband is not fertile and that he asked her to do artificial insemination. What’s bothering my mind is.

1. Does it mean that Gloria had artificial insemination for all five kids (two deceased)

2. If Odartey okayed the IVF process as the wife alleges and for that matter did not sleep outside her marriage, who paid for the insemination process?

3. If the husband did, wouldn’t he know that he isn’t the father from day one?

4. Were all the five kids fathered by the benevolent “donor” of the sperm or are they children of different “donors”?

5. Why would a sterile man who wants to hide his “public shame” bother to have five kids who aren’t his and probably from different men?

6. Is it probable that instead of one kid, a sterile Ghanaian man would continually sponsor the impregnation of his wife by someone or some people five good times?"

Just thinking aloud.....

Source: peacefmonline.com