Child kidnapper jailed nine years

Child kidnapper jailed nine years
February 03, 2010
Accra, Feb. 3, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court on Wednesday sentenced Philip Asiedu aka Spike to nine years imprisonment for kidnapping an eight-year-old pupil of Alpha Beta Educational Complex at Dansoman, an Accra suburb.

Asiedu, 24, unemployed was found guilty for conspiracy, child stealing, kidnapping and extortion.

In addition, the court ordered him to pay the GH¢ 12,000 ransom he collected from the victim's parents.

Three accomplices of the accused Eric, Conscious and Spider are at large.

Passing sentence, the presiding judge said the offences were serious and the sentence was not only punitive but deterrent to discourage others who had similar mindset to desist from such acts.

Police Superintendent Eric Boye told the court that the complainant Dr. Mrs. Suitlana Aduama is the mother of the victim and the accused was unemployed and lives at Weija.

He said sometime in June, 2008, about 4:40 pm, the accused went to the victim's school and introduced himself as a co-worker of the complainant who had been sent to pick the child from school.

Prosecution said after the accused had left the school premises with the victim, her mother arrived and was told that someone had already come for the victim.

Police Superintendent Boye said the accused called the complainant and asked her to meet him (accused) at Papaye Fast food at Osu to discuss terms for the release of the victim and threatened to kill her if the complainant involved the police.

He said the accused also asked the complainant to pay GH¢ 40,000 within three days, meanwhile the accused and accomplices now at large continued to send the victim from one hotel to another and at the same time negotiating with the parents to meet them at a designated location with the ransom.

Police Superintendent Boye said after fruitless efforts by the police to locate the accused and the victim, the parents provided GH¢ 12,000 at a location at Sakaman,a suburb of Accra, upon instructions from the accused.

He said after receiving the money, the accused directed the parents to the school to pick their child.

A report was made to the police and during investigations the victim's school bag and books were found in the accused's room.

GNA