Three Arrested Over Theft Of Baby

The daughter of the owner of a maternity home at Madina near Accra has been arrested for stealing a day old-baby-boy which she sold to a trader for ?5.5 million.

Getrude Acolatse, 42, allegedly told the mother of the baby to take a shower but when she returned her baby had vanished from the ward.

According to the Accra Regional Police Commander, Mr Douglas Akrofi Asiedu, on Thursday, June 16, 2005, the mother of the baby, Ms Comfort Cudjoe Gbaga, resident at Haatso, went to the Francisca Maternity Home at Madina New Road to be delivered of a baby.

He said she was delivered of the baby the same day and the midwife, Madam Fransisca Demerdorous charged her ?620,000 for the services.

He said Comfort?s husband made part payment of ?220,000 and went home to mobilise more funds to enable him to pay for the rest of the cost of the delivery.

The commander said the following day while Comfort was lying in bed in the ward she overheard Getrude asking the nurse on duty whether all those who were delivered had been discharged.

She was told that all except one was still in the ward and a few minutes later she approached Comfort to demand the reason why she was still in the ward.

Mr Asiedu said Comfort told Getrude that she had not paid the bills for the delivery and the suspect convinced Comfort to take a shower while she awaited her husband?s return.

He said when Comfort went to the kitchen for hot water, she realised that the water was not hot and, therefore, she decided to return to the ward only to find that her baby had been stolen.

He said when all efforts to trace the baby had failed, a report was made to the Madina Police and Getrude was arrested for interrogation but she was later released.

Mr Asiedu said on Wednesday, June 22, 2005, information reached the police that Getrude was seen with some adoption papers and she was re-arrested. During interrogation she admitted stealing the baby and selling it to Jacqueline Adenyiah, aged 40, at Kotobaabi for ?5.5 million.

She led the police to the house of Cedi Ibrahim, a friend of Jacqueline who lived at Madina and she took them to Kotobaabi where Jacqueline was arrested with the baby.

The mother of the baby told the Graphic that she had been very traumatised by the whole incident. ?Although I have two other children, I was very sad about the loss of my baby and used to cry everyday,? she said.

On her part Jacqueline the mother of three, aged between 21 and 15 said she had just married again and was desperate for a baby to sustain the marriage and, therefore, she consulted Cedi to assist her to adopt a child from the Osu Children?s Home.

She said they later met Getrude, a friend of Cedi and they told her about their intention and she promised to help.

Getrude later brought some adoption papers for Jacqueline to sign but she pleaded with her to do everything on her behalf. Getrude, it was said, agreed but later demanded ?3 million for the adoption and ?2.5 million as other charges bringing the total transaction to ?5.5 million.