An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced Afua Adoko, a fishmonger, to five years’ imprisonment in hard labour.
The court, presided over by Abena Oppong Agyin Doku, found Madam Adoko guilty of human trafficking.
Her accomplices-Kweku Acquah, Adoko’s husband and Ama Adomah, mother of the victim- pleaded guilty to the offence during their first appearance in court in January 2018 and were each sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.
The two began their jail term in January, but Madam Adoko, pleaded not guilty and was allowed to face trial to determine her fate.
The prosecutor, DSP C K Abadamlora, told the court that the complainant is Rebecca Tagoe, a trader and resident of Adabraka in Accra, while Efua Adoko and her husband Kweku Acquah hail from Winneba but work in Yeji, a fishing community in the Brong Ahafo Region, as fishmonger and fisherman respectively.
Ama Adomah, the mother of the victim, is a trader who lives in Winneba in the Central Region.
On November 20, 2016, Kweku Acquah and Efua Adoko travelled to Winneba from Yeji and approached Ama Adomah to release the victim to them to be taken to Yeji for fishing.
Adomah agreed to offer the victim to the couple for a fee of GHC100.00, and they all agreed to travel to a transit point in Accra with the victim in order to avoid detection in Winneba.
On November 23, 2016 at the Adabraka Market in Accra, Adomah handed over the victim to the married couple to be taken to Yeji.
She returned to Winneba after collecting the said amount from the couple.
The victim cried uncontrollably and this attracted the attention of the complainant, who eventually intercepted Efua Adoko and reported the matter to the Adabraka Police.
The matter was later referred to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit where investigations led to the arrest of the two others.
After investigations, they were charged with human trafficking and arraigned before court.
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