Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ACCRA1122
2009-10-23 13:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Accra
Cable title:  

GHANA CONVICTS TRAFFICKER AND ARRESTS OTHERS IN

Tags:  KTIP PHUM PGOV XA GH 
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VZCZCXYZ0011
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAR #1122 2961312
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231312Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY ACCRA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8411
UNCLAS ACCRA 001122 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIP PHUM PGOV XA GH
SUBJECT: GHANA CONVICTS TRAFFICKER AND ARRESTS OTHERS IN
SEPARATE CASES

UNCLAS ACCRA 001122

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KTIP PHUM PGOV XA GH
SUBJECT: GHANA CONVICTS TRAFFICKER AND ARRESTS OTHERS IN
SEPARATE CASES


1. (U) SUMMARY: In two recent cases, Ghanaian law enforcement
used undercover operations to arrest human traffickers. A
man from the Western Region was sentenced to four years in
prison for attempting to sell his eight year old brother, and
a woman from the Ashanti Region is being prosecuted for
attempting to sell another woman for ritual purposes. A
mother and daughter team were also arrested for allegedly
trafficking a 12 year old Togolese girl from Ghana to
Nigeria. All of the cases demonstrate the increasing
attention Ghanaian law enforcement is paying to human
trafficking issues, as well as their capacity to mount
undercover operations in the regions. Patience Quaye, the
head of the Ghanaian police anti-trafficking unit, has said
that improved police training has led to the increase in
arrests. END SUMMARY


2. (U) A 28 year old man was sentenced October 12 to four
years in prison by a court in the Western Region after
pleading guilty to trying to sell his 8 year old brother for
10,000 GH cedis (approximately $7,000). The brothers lived
with their mother, who gave her permission for the child to
travel with his older sibling to visit his brother's friend
in the Central Region. When the two arrived in town, the
older brother approached a taxi driver to help find a buyer
for the child. According to the evidence, the taxi driver
feigned interest in the purchase but reported the incident to
police who arrested him in a sting operation.


3. (U) In a separate case, a 46 year old female kiosk owner
was arrested October 7 in the Ashanti Region for attempting
to traffic her assistant to Cote D'Ivoire for ritual
purposes. According to media reports, the woman admitted her
intent to sell her assistant and was remanded into prison
custody. The victim reportedly told police that she was asked
by her employer to accompany the woman to buy produce in the
market where an undercover policeman, acting on a tip-off,
approached the woman and offered to buy the girl. After some
negotiation, the price agreed upon was 6,000 GH cedis
(approximately $4,000). The policeman made a deposit and said
be would return with the balance; however, he returned with
uniformed police who arrested the woman.


4. (U) A mother and her daughter were arrested on October 13
in Accra for allegedly trafficking a 12 year old Togolese
girl from Ghana to Nigeria. The pair pleaded not guilty to
various trafficking related charges and have been remanded
into custody. The girl was brought from Togo by her
grandmother when she immigrated to look for menial work.
After four years of washing dishes in the eatery owned by the
accused, the victim's grandmother returned to Togo in 2008
and left the girl in the custody of the accused. The girl's
mother recently arrived in Ghana to take the child back to
Togo and was told by the accused that the girl is in Nigeria.
The victim's mother filed a complaint with the police, who
arrested the two accused.


5. (U) On October 15, Poloff spoke with Patience A Quaye,
head of the anti-trafficking unit of the Ghana police.
Although Quaye would not comment on the specifics of the
cases, she noted that police training to spot potential
trafficking is resulting in more arrests.
TEITELBAUM