The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service with support from the Human Trafficking Secretariat (HTS) of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has arrested and prosecuted two offenders.
Ms Elizabeth Arthur Adjei, a proprietress at God's Kids Orphanage in Kasoa and Daniel Opare Asiedu, a Lawyer, have been convicted by the Accra Circuit Court for conspiracy to commit crime: to wit: defrauding by pretences contrary to Section 23 (1) and 131 of the criminal code 1960 (ACT 29).
Both culprits succeeded in collecting money from a couple (complainant) with the promise of transporting the couple and their one and half-year-old son to Canada for a job opportunity.
The complainant was asked to pay an amount of GH₵5,000.00 to be used to procure a passport and other travel documents, out of which GH₵4,000.00 was paid.
Ms Elizabeth Arthur later informed the complainant that the documents were all ready but the complainant's wife could not travel because she had become pregnant and could only travel after delivery. The complainant could also travel after three days because there was a problem with his passport which must be worked on but his son could travel because there was nothing wrong with his documents and the white man to take them to Canada would go ahead with the boy.
After months of persistence, the complainant was given a document which he gave to a friend, and after reading the document, the complainant was made to understand that his child has been adopted. The complainant reported the case to the Devtraco Police Station after which the perpetrators were arrested, prosecuted and convicted for their crimes.
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Lawyer Daniel Asiedu was convicted and sentenced to three years in hard labour and in addition a fine of 1000 penalty units (GHC12 per one) or serve additional two years.
The second convict Elizabeth Arthur, owner of God's Kids Orphanage in Kasoa was also convicted and sentenced to the same as the first accused.
The government over the past five years has increased efforts to combat human trafficking. These efforts by the government have resulted in Ghana's upgrade from Tier 2 Watch List to a Tier 2 ranking in the 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report.
The Human Trafficking Secretariat (HTS) has collaborated with a host of partners and stakeholders to fight and educate people on human trafficking.
