An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a 29-year-old head porter to 60 months imprisonment for presenting a five-year-old girl for money ritual at Pokuase in Accra.

Isaac Gabianu kidnapped the victim at a public toilet in Accra and presented the minor to a herbalist at Pokuase for money ritual.

The herbalist, however, sent the victim and the convict to the Police.

Charged with child stealing, Gabianu pleaded not guilty.

At the end of the trial, the court presided over by Mrs Christina Cann found him guilty.

The court held that the prosecution at the end of the trial succeeded in proving the offence against Gabianu.

It, therefore, handed down a deterrent sentence.

In his plea for mitigation, Gabianu, who was self-represented, said: " I cannot confess what I have not done."

The prosecution led by Superintendent of Police, Agnes Boafo, narrated that the complainant, Patricia Asamoah, was a trader residing at Mallam, Accra.

It said the convict was a head porter residing at CMB, Accra.

On April 3, 2023, at about 7:30 pm, the complainant went to the Charge Office of the Railway Police Station, Accra, to report her missing daughter.

The prosecution said the complainant indicated that she had gone to the Kantamanto Market, Accra, with the five-year-old daughter and had asked her to wait for her (complainant) in front of a public toilet while she attended to nature's call at about 1730 hours.

It said after attending to nature's call, the complainant could not find her daughter and on April 4, 2023, at about 12:30 am, the Police at Pokuase received information that Gabianu had been arrested over an attempted money ritual and brought to them by a herbalist.

The prosecution said the Police at Pokuase then handed over Gabianu to the Accra Railway Police for further investigations.

It said the herbalist indicated that Gabianu had brought the victim to him to be killed for a " sacrifice for money ritual".

The prosecution said in Gabianu's caution statement, he admitted the offence.