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More drama unfolds in DNA test palaver

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In what appears to be the worsening of her ease, Celestine Owusu, the woman at the centre of the inconclusive DNA test, has placed herself in line for another charge of child trafficking or abduction. This follows fresh investigations launched into the case by the Human Trafficking Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service after Celestine's attempt to fight her case in the media had backfired. According to the police, the suspect, who is currently on bail, will soon be re-arraigned to answer charges of child trafficking or abduction. Celestine hit the headlines when she sought legal action against Ernest Opoku, 42, for child neglect, but a DNA test ordered by the District and Juvenile Court in Accra proved that neither the woman nor the man was biologically linked to the six-month-old baby boy. The woman has since turned to the media in an attempt to prove her claim of being the child's biological mother but that has proved disastrous, as the doctor she cited as her witness has discounted her claims. The Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment (WISE), an NOO, has taken up the case and challenged the doctor's claim that Celestine had not been pregnant and that she had not been delivered of a baby at the Tema Women's HospitaL as she claimed. The NGO is further seeking assistance from some women lawyers to defend Celestine against more than eight other criminal charges pending in various courts against her. Meanwhile, Celestine, who still stands by her claim that she got pregnant and was delivered of the baby, despite the doctor's claim, has been invited to report herself to the Human Trafficking Unit of the CID to assist in fresh investigations. The police are still pursuing the Social Welfare case against Celestine and building a new case to prove that the baby had not been delivered by her but stolen. She has already been taken to the Police Hospital in Accra to be examined by the head of the Gynaecology Department there to determine whether she has any postpartum signs. After that, she will be taken to the medical doctor in charge of the Tema Women's Hospital, Dr Paul Owusu, for another test. When Celestine was first invited to the Human Trafficking Unit at the CID Headquarters, she claimed that she had given birth at the Tema Women's Hospital in January this year and received ante-natal services at the La General Hospital. But she could not produce any document to substantiate the claim. Following the case, the Social Welfare Department took custody of the child and tasked the Human Trafficking Unit of the CID to investigate to get to the bottom of the case. Source: Daily Graphic/Ghana

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.