Trader jailed three years for child stealing

An Accra Circuit court has sentenced a 22 year old trader to three years imprisonment in hard labour for stealing her colleague's five months old baby boy at Kantamanto in Accra.

Naa Ayeley Armah is said to have sent the baby to Kasoa in the Central Region after her colleague had left the baby in her care.

Earlier, Naa Ayeley had pleaded not guilty to the charge of child stealing.

However when she appeared before the court on Friday she changed her plea to guilty and pleaded for leniency.

The court presided over Mrs Christina Cann convicted Naa Ayeley on her own plea and sentenced her to three years imprisonment in hard labour.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Judith B. Asante said both complainant (name withheld) and Naa Ayeley, the convict are traders residing at Kantamanto Market in Accra.

Chief Inspector Asante said the complainant got to know Naa Ayeley not quite long and on June 14, this year, at about 1700 hours at the Kantamanto Market, the complainant left her five months baby in the care of Naa Ayeley.

The Prosecution said when the complainant returned she could not find Naa Ayeley and the baby.

Prosecution said the complainant search all over Kantamanto and its environs like Tema Station and the Arts Centre but to no avail thus Naa Ayeley and the baby could not be found.

The complainant therefore reported the matter to the Railways Station Police.

She said on June 22, this year, the complainant had a call from a friend saying that she has found Naa Ayeley at Kasoa.

The prosecution said through the help of some friends of the complainant Naa Ayeley was arrested in Kasoa.

Meanwhile Police investigations revealed that Naa Ayeley had earlier been arrested by the Police in Kasoa because she was not taking good care of the baby who she claims was her child, so the baby had been handed over to the Department of Social Welfare.

The Police in Kasoa then handed Naa Ayeley to the Railways Police where she narrated how she stole the baby.