Two drivers jailed for slave dealing

Takoradi, July 10, GNA - A Takoradi Circuit Court on Monday sentenced Ekow Condua, 35, and Maxwell Asabil, 34, both drivers at Axim, to 12 months imprisonment each for attempting to sell their two children for 200 million cedis each.

They pleaded not guilty to slave dealing.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Theophilus Agbemordza told the court presided by Mr Justice George Koomson that on January 15 2005, the convicts went to the house of Mr Enoch Tando, the Chairman of the Cargo Section of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) at Agona Junction, who deals in cars, for financial assistance.

They told Tando that they wanted a car to buy but they did not have money and as such they were prepared to sell one child each to raise money.

Chief Inspector Agbemordza said after the accused persons had made the proposal, Tando asked them to excuse him, left the room and informed the police about it.

He said some policemen who were dressed in mufti went to the house of Tando and pretended to be guarantors of the transaction. Chief Inspector Agbemordza said the accused persons told Tando that they would be selling their children aged 7 and 9 years to Tando at the cost of 200 million cedis each.

Tando agreed to pay 180 million cedis for each of the children during the negotiation and the accused persons accepted the offer and after the transaction the policemen arrested the convicts.