Man held for kidnapping his children, fails to produce them in court

An Accra Circuit Court hearing the case of a 38-year-old driver, Prince Osei, who is accused of kidnapping his two children has adjourned the matter to April 23.

Osei is said to have picked the kids after close of school on March 23, this year, and failed to tell the police, the whereabouts of the two children.

Osei had promised to produce them in court today. However, when the matter was called and he was asked about the children, Osei informed the court that they were at the down floor of the court building.

When court ordered to ascertain whether the minors were there, they were nowhere to be found.

Osei’s lawyer was also not in court when the matter was called.

The court presided over by Mrs. Christina Cann adjourned the matter.

Osei who is being held on two counts of kidnapping his kids aged 11 and seven, and two counts of engaging in domestic violence to wit – a conduct or behaviour that endangers the safety and well-being of another person.

He pleaded not guilty. Osei has been remanded into lawful custody.

The court was told that Osei allegedly abandoned the children and their mother six years ago.

Accused through his counsel, Mr William Brown indicated that the children would be in Accra on Thursday, April 8, this year and assured the court that the children would be brought to court on April 9.

At the last sitting, the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire, opposed to the grant of bail, saying the kids had not been found and that Police did not have proof of life.

The prosecution’s case is that, the complainant, Madam Catherine Agyapong is a trader and the victims are her biological children and they all lived at Bubuashie in Accra.

The prosecutor said Osei resided at Bubuashie and he is the father of the victims.

According to Chief Inspector Atimbire, the complainant and the accused person were married but for the past six years, the complainant did not know the whereabouts of the accused.

The prosecution said on March 23, this year, at about 7:00am, the complainant sent the victims to school at Ayigbe Town, near Bubuashie and left for work.

Chief Inspector Atimbire said the same day, at 7:00pm, the complainant returned from work and the victims could not be found.

The complainant searched for the kids within her vicinity but she did not find them and was told by a friend that Osei had taken the kids to Kumasi.

The prosecution said investigations revealed that on March 23, this year, at about 3:30 pm when the victims had closed from school and were returning home, the accused kidnapped them at Ayigbe Town, near Bubuashie and without the consent of the complainant, took them to Kumasi.

On March 28, this year, at about 7:05am, the complainant and others arrested Osei and escorted him to the Domestic Violence and Victim’s Support Unit (DOVVSU)at Kaneshie in Accra and reported the matter.

When he was quizzed over the whereabouts of the kids, he failed to disclose same to the Police.