Two medical doctors together with some nurses and staff of the Department of Social Welfare have been arrested for allegedly engaging in “baby harvesting and human trafficking”.
They were rounded-up after a joint team of investigators from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) closed-in on their activities from June to November last year.
A joint statement issued by both EOCO and MDC said as part of the investigations, two mothers and one traditional birth attendant were also arrested and granted bail, pending further investigations.
The two medical doctors, allegedly caught in the act of teaming-up with nurses to sell babies to people, according to the statement, are Dr Hope Mensah Quashie, of the 37 Military Hospital, and Dr Noah Kofi Lartey, of the Ridge Hospital.
Dr Mensah Quashie, who also operates his private health facility called Susan Clinic at Lartebiokorshie, a suburb of Accra, allegedly sold a baby-boy to the joint investigating team in October 2020 for GHC 30,000.00.
Sylvia Awuseh, John Adorey Effie and Angela Ametepe, three nurses who work at Dr Mensah Quashie’s facility, were also arrested, in addition to a traditional birth attendant at Bethlehem Maternity Home, at Kpone Katamanso, Madam Dede Gifty Anikpi, who reportedly referred the mother of the baby-boy to the clinic.
More revelations
“On Thursday December 31, 2020, a joint team from MDC and EOCO arrested Mr Leonard Agbley at a health facility in Tema. This was after the suspect agreed to help the investigators purchase a new-born baby for a sum of GHC28, 000.00.
“He led a member of the investigations team to the Tema General Hospital where the baby was handed-over to them by a lady named Nancy Obaa Yaa,” the statement said.
Further investigations revealed that one Doris Badu, the Social Welfare Officer at the Tema General Hospital, was the brain behind the sale of the baby. The baby was allegedly supplied to Madam Doris Badu by Dr Noah Kofi Lartey for sale.
Consequently, Madam Doris Badu and the mother of the first baby were arrested in separate operations on Monday January 4, 2021.
The statement said Dr Lartey was also arrested on Tuesday January 5, 2021. He was arrested together with three nurses who work at his facility.
Babies in safe hands
The statement assured the public that the babies sold by the suspects and bought by the investigations team are in safe custody and currently being taken good care of, pending further investigations.
While thanking all stakeholders for their continued support and cooperation, the statement assured that the two bodies would continue to collaborate to protect public health and safety by preventing and detecting organised crime.