A middle aged woman has found herself in trouble for allegedly using the urine of three children to prepare food at her ‘chop bar’ in an attempt to attract more customers. The woman, Serwaah Serwaah, who operates the chop bar near the lorry station at Asante Bekwai, was said to have used the urine of three brothers aged six, five and four years, to steam her meats and prepare her soup. The action of the chop bar operator was reported to the Asantehemaa’s Traditional Court during its sitting at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi last Tuesday. After hearing the case, the court directed Serwaah Serwaah to slaughter two sheep to perform some rituals to pacify the gods and the spirits of the three brothers. Additionally, she is to pay GH¢500 to compensate the children and their family. When the children were brought to the palace during the hearing of the case, they looked very sick and malnourished. Narrating the incident to Nananom at the court, the mother of the three boys; Dorcas Bonsu, said on and about May 9, this year, her mother, Maame Grace sent one of the boys, Nana Opoku, to buy an item in a nearby store for her. While he was going, the other two brothers followed him, and on reaching the store, they saw Serwaah Serwaah, who called them and asked them to give her their urine. According to Dorcas, the woman used toffees to entice the boys for them to oblige to her request to give her their urine and later promised to buy them eggs after she had succeeded in using the urine for the purpose intended. Dorcas said when the children came home; she saw the toffees and questioned them on where they got them from and they narrated the incident to her. She told the court that she got very worried and even thought the boys where lying, but on second thought she decided to go with her mother to the woman’s chop bar to ascertain the truth of the matter. According to Dorcas, Serwaah Serwaah confirmed the children’s story and when they demanded to have the urine back, she told them she had already used them for the purpose for which she took it from the children. Dorcas, who was nearly in tears, told the court that since then she had been visiting one hospital after the other, as well as seeking spiritual assistance, since all the three children had been falling ill frequently since then. She said it was on account of that that she decided to report the matter to the court for Serwaah Serwaah to explain what she used the children’s urine for and what could be done to save the lives of the children. She also demanded a compensation of GH¢2,500, since she had spent so much on the health of the children. After her narration, Serwaah Serwaah was asked if what the complainant said was true. Serwaah Serwaah confirmed the incident, but could not explain any further what she had used the urine for and the motive behind the action. The court then decided that it was wicked of the chop bar operator to commit such a crime and, therefore, decided that the woman should buy two sheep for sacrifice. The sheep would then be slaughtered and the blood used to pacify the gods and purify the spirits of the three children. The sacrifice is scheduled to be performed tomorrow Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at the court’s sitting to free the children from any spiritual bondage, as well as any sickness they have contracted as a result of the woman’s activities. She is also expected to pay the GH¢500 compensation to the children and their parents.