Man jailed for offering nephew for sale

Kwesi Agyei, farmer, 22, was on Wednesday jailed seven years in hard labour by a Circuit Court, at Tarkwa, for offering his eight-year-old nephew for sale at 30 million cedis. The court, presided over by Mr. Isaac Lartey-Young convicted Agyei on his own plea.

Police Chief Inspector Lydia Vondee told the court that on June 26, Agyei took Yaw Barima, the little boy, out to town at Sehwi Asawinso, while the parents were not at home.

She said Agyei first approached Kofi Nkuah, a barber, at Asawinso to contact a Malam who had expressed interest in the deal, but failed.

Nkuah accompanied the accused to Dwenase, near Sehwi Wiawso, the following day under the pretext of helping him find a prospective buyer.

Kofi Alhassan and Taller, both friends of Nkuah posed as buyers and gave the accused 10 thousand cedis as lorry fare to bring the boy from Asawinso the next day, but in his absence they alerted the police.

The accused offered to sell the boy at 30 million cedis, but while the two friends were bargaining to beat down the price at a hideout, Nkuah called in the police and Agyei was arrested. The boy has since been handed over to his parents.