Accra, March. 1, GNA - The Police said on Tuesday that

medical officers had asked for two more weeks to complete a

psychological assessment on Jacinta Oduro Kwarteng, a self-

styled nurse accused of stealing a two-week-old baby girl from

the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. When the case was called, Assistant Superintendent

of Police (ASP) Sarah Acquah, the prosecutor said Jacinta

was still undergoing medical treatment and the medical officer

is therefore asking for an additional two weeks. In the absence of the accused the court therefore

adjourned the matter to March 22. Jacinta's counsel at the last sitting contended that

his client was ill and was not medically sound to answer the

charge levelled against her. The court therefore ordered that Jacinta, who is also a

mother, should undergo psychiatric examination to determine

whether or not she was fit to stand trial. The prosecutor, ASP Acquah, however, told the court that

Jacinta was 93100 per cent sound" to stand trial. ASP Acquah told the court that Jacinta resides at

Dansoman, Accra. On January 17, the complainant who gave birth to a baby

girl at the Hospital was asked to report on January 31 for

review. The prosecutor said on January 31, the complainant and her

auntie took the baby to the hospital but the medical doctor was

not available hence she was asked to report the following day. When the complainant was leaving, she met the accused

dressed in white attire seated at the Maternity Out-Patient

Department (OPD). The prosecutor said the complainant approached Jacinta

and asked if her baby could be weighed since her doctor was

unavailable. Jacinta then offered to assist the complainant and asked the

complainant to leave her baby with the auntie to enable her to

take her (the complainant) upstairs to see another doctor. The prosecutor said on the way to see the doctor, Jacinta

asked the complainant to wait for her while she collected

laboratory results from the Central Laboratory. ASP Acquah said Jacinta went to the complainant's auntie

who was then holding the baby and told her that the medical

doctor wanted to see the baby. The complainant's auntie

therefore gave the baby to Jacinta. The complainant, the prosecutor said, realising that Jacinta

had kept long in returning went back to see her auntie and the

baby but to her surprise she was told that Jacinta had come for

the child. The complainant and her auntie searched the various

departments of the hospital but to no avail. They therefore

lodged a complaint with the Korle-Bu Police. The prosecutor said Jacinta was arrested at her hideout at

Dansoman 91Last Stop' and she mentioned one Ataa as the

person who bought the baby for GH¢300. ASP Acquah said Ataa realising that she was being sought

by the Police sent the baby to Assin Fosu Government

Hospital in the Central Region where she abandoned her (the

baby) and went into hiding. The case was transferred to the Domestic Violence and

Victims Support Unit in the Greater Accra Region.