Accra-Ghana, Nov. 13, GNA – The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has commended the Anti Human Trafficking Unit of the Police Service for convicting two offenders of human trafficking.
Elizabeth Arthur, a Proprietress at God’s Kids Orphanage in Kasoa and Mr Daniel Opare Asiedu, a Lawyer, were convicted by the Accra Circuit Court for Conspiracy to commit crime to wit defrauding by false pretenses contrary to Section 23 (1) and 131 of the criminal code 1960 (ACT 29).
A statement issued by the Ministry’ Public Affairs Unit, said Asiedu and Arthur were convicted and sentenced to three years in hard labour.
It said they were also to pay a fine of 1000 penalty units (12GHS per unit) or serve additional two years if they did not pay.
The statement said both convicts succeeded in collecting money from a couple, complainant, with the promise of transporting them and their one and half year-old son to Canada for a job opportunity.
The statement said the complainant was asked to pay an amount of GHS 5,000.00 to procure passport and other travel documents, out of which GHS 4,000.00 was paid.
Madam Arthur, it said, later informed the complainant that, all the documents were ready but the complainant’s wife could not travel because she had become pregnant and could only travel after delivery.
The statement said 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 that the “white man” to take them to Canada would go ahead with the boy.
It said after months of persistence, the complainant was given a document suggesting his child had been adopted.
Hence, he reported the case to the Devtraco Police Station and the culprits were arrested and prosecuted by the Anti Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service with support from the Human Trafficking Secretariat (HTS) of the Gender Ministry.
It said the Ministry would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to ensure human trafficking and its related issues were nipped in the bud.
Ghana is said to be a country of origin, transit, and destination for people, especially women and children subjected to trafficking in persons.
The Government over the past five years, has increased efforts to combat human trafficking. These efforts have resulted in Ghana’s upgrade from Tier 2 Watch List to a Tier 2 ranking since the 2018 TIP Report.
The Human Trafficking Secretariat has collaborated with a host of partners and stakeholders to fight and educate people on human trafficking.
