Three persons including a prophetess and a man who attempted to buy a one-year-old baby from her mother at GH¢2,000 have been arrested by the police. The suspects, Asiedu Ammpong, 48; Happy Azasu, 40, both traders at CMB, Accra, and Cecilia Bali, a prophetess, were arrested at Awoshie where they were ready to make payment for the transaction when the police intercepted them. The three were said to have even made a part payment of GH¢1,200 together with a piece of cloth, to the mother who was waiting at Awoshie for the rest of the money when they were grabbed. They were arrested by a team of police personnel from the Railways Police Station, upon a tip-off by the mother of the one- year-old victim, who is also a trader at the Accra Central Business District. Confirming the story to Daily Guide, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Domestic Violence and Victim (DOVVSU), Chief Inspector Irene Oppong, indicated that a few weeks ago, Ampong, who trades with the victim's mother at CMB, approached her that some women who urgently needed a child had expressed interest in taking her child, if only she was willing to take GH¢2,000 in exchange for her daughter. She said the 23-year-old mother, who claims life has been hard for her in recent times, requested that Asiedu give her some time to think about the deal. The mother of the victim then confided in a police officer at Accra Central Police Station for advice. The police then advised the mother to pretend to have accepted the proposal of Asiedu, which she did. She therefore agreed on Monday June 7, 2010, as the day for the deal and payment to be made. "On Monday June 7, 2010, in the morning, Asiedu approached the mother and gave [her an] amount of GH¢1 to meet him at Kaneshie for them to meet the person who had expressed interest in the child." Chief Inspector Oppong said the police personnel who were in mufti followed Asiedu and the victim's mother in a taxi while they headed towards Awoshie. When they got to Awoshie, the taxi stopped and Asiedu made a phone call. Some minutes later, Happy Azasu came first to have a look at the child and left with a message that she was going to give the money to her sister to bring to the mother for the baby. She stated that later, Prophetess Cecilia Bali appeared holding a black polythene bag with the money and a piece of cloth. Chief Inspector Oppong said Prophetess Bali told the child's mother that Happy had offered to pay GH¢1,200 instead of the agreed GH¢2,000. She immediately dumped the money on the mother and was ready to pick the child when the police arrested her and Asiedu, who sat in the taxi with the child's mother. Chief Inspector Oppong noted that the two then led the police to arrest Happy at her residence, disclosing that when the polythene bag was opened, the amount of money found in it was GH¢894. Initially, Asiedu had wanted to escape upon seeing the police but was apprehended. The three would be arraigned soon and charged for child trafficking. In an interview with journalists, the 23-year-old mother of the victim stated that the child was her first born. She said she had known Asiedu Ampong for some time now because they all trade in the same area. She added that Asiedu convinced her that if the money was paid to her, she would be able to travel to her hometown, Winnneba, to start a new life. But she said upon second thought however, she realized she could not sell her only child for any amount of money. Source: Daily Guide/Ghana