CHILD'S PATERNITY IN DISPUTE (PAGE 27, MIRROR, JAN 16, 2010)

From Samuel Duodu, Kintampo.

The Kintampo Magistrate Court, presided over by Mr. Albert Zoogah, has ordered an accused person, the complainant and the mother of a child in a child stealing case to go for medical tests to ascertain the child’s biological father.
Explaining the court’s decision, Mr Zoogah said the order for a paternity test before, if need be, a DNA test was because of the financial background of both the accused and the complainant.
He further explained that the court decided to use the criminal aspect of the case to resolve the matter, instead of resorting to the civil court, because the civil aspect would be very expensive for the parties involved in the case.  
Hamza Bawa, a farmer, has been charged with stealing one Alhassan Zakari, three years and four months, but he claims the child is his and not the complainant’s.  
Bawa, who also claimed to be the boyfriend of the child’s mother, Memona Moro, was granted bail in the sum of GH¢2,000 with a surety or in default remain in police custody to re-appear on January 25, 2010.
The facts of the case, as presented by Sergeant Wisdom Ahiakpor, were that Memona and the complainant were divorced soon after Zakari’s birth in Kumasi.
The prosecutor said Memona left Kumasi with the child to stay with her parents at Kintampo and in the course of nursing the child she befriended Bawa, who happened to be her ex-lover.
However, about 7.30 p.m. on Sunday, December 27, 2009 while Memona was at home, Bawa rang her to meet him at Sawaba, near the Kintampo lorry station.
Sgt. Ahiakpor said Memona carried the child along and on reaching a spot she left the child with Bawa to urinate in a house about 100 metres away. She returned only to realise that Bawa had absconded with the child.
Sgt. Ahiakpor said the complainant was informed and he reported the matter to the police and Memona was picked to assist in investigations, which led to the arrest of Bawa.
He said Bawa admitted having disappeared with the child to his sister, Zifatu, in Yendi, claiming that he was the child’s father.