The Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), COP Frank Adu-Poku (Rtd.) has mentioned that three (3) babies have been rescued from a baby harvesters/child trafficking syndicate.

He said this when he met the press on Thursday, March 18, 2021, at the Economic and Organised Crime Office Head Office. This press conference stems from ongoing investigations between the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) and EOCO.

COP Adu-Poku explained that the three (3) babies are in the custody of the Office pending the final determination of the case.

Following the earlier joint press statement on January 20, 2021 on the “baby harvesting / trafficking” additional arrests have been made.

COP Adu-Poku (Rtd.) stated that one Nelly Tagoe, the nurse in charge of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Tema General Hospital and Nancy Obayaa who was at large during the last press conference, have been arrested.

He indicated that two (2) women who were reported to have bought a baby from Susan Clinic in the earlier press statement have also been arrested at their residence at Manet in Ogbojo. They were arrested while attempting to abscond with the baby to Agona Swedru. They are in the persons of Florence Acquah and Eleanor Ofori Nsiah.

Florence Acquah is a home help aid in USA and Eleanor Nsiah is a friend of Florence. They paid USD2,500 to Dr. Hope Mensah for the baby. The said baby is also in the custody of the Office.

PETITIONS

Investigations have opened a Pandora’s Box where individuals are petitioning the Office with diverse complaints on strange circumstances leading to the disappearance of their babies in health facilities. COP Frank Adu-Poku (Rtd.) indicated that these petitions are also under investigation to determine the truth or otherwise of the allegations.

In a related incident, a banker is reported to have developed complications and was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital but was referred to Susan Clinic to deliver due to unavailability of beds. Unfortunately after hearing her baby cry She was later informed that the baby did not make it and had been disposed off without her consent.

In an unrelated incident, another mother has requested EOCO to investigate the where about of a baby that was delivered by a Kayayo on 5^th May, 2018 but was abandoned due to the inability of the mother to pay her bills.

EOCO has assured the general public that it will work assiduously to investigate and bring an end to the activities of this syndicate. COP Adu-Poku said we are “unperturbed about the threats of death on the lives of the council members and the investigative team. We shall continue to collaborate to protect public health and safety by preventing and detecting organised crime”.

Source: Public Affairs Desk / Anti-Human Trafficking Unit