October 17, 2016 By Hassan Gbassay Koroma
The Associate Magistrate at the Freetown Magistrates’ Court No.1, Lyndonette Macauley on Thursday remanded two sisters at the Female Correctional Centre on Jomo Kenyatta Road for allegedly kidnapping a one-day old baby from the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH).
Both accused -Phyllis Steven and Regina Steven were before the court on two count charges of conspiracy and kidnapping, contrary to the laws of Sierra Leone.
The prosecution alleges that the duo on Monday 5th September, 2016 at Ward 4 at PCMH conspired with other unknown individuals to commit a felony by unlawfully taking away a one-day old baby without his consent.
According to police fact in the charge sheet, elder sister to the complaint, one Yeanoh Bangura had told the police that she stayed in the same address with her sister.
She said the complainant, Namineh Samura was pregnant and fell sick on 3rd September, 2016 ,adding that they rushed her to the PCMH for urgent treatment.
She told the police that on Sunday 4th September, 2016 at about 1700 hours, she received a phone call from the complaint that she had given birth to a set of twins.
She added that she and one Mr. Abu visited the hospital but were denied access into the ward where the complainant was admitted.
The report further indicated that the said elder sister of the complaint stated that on Monday 5th September,2016, at about 1700 hours, she received another phone call from the complaint, who informed her that one of the twins had went missing.
She had told the police that upon the receipt of that information, she went to the hospital but was denied entry into the facility by the security at the gate.
While at the gate, she said that she overheard people talking about the said missing child, while she left and made a report at the Eastern Police Station.
It could be recalled that police arrested five suspects after they received the report of the alleged incident on Monday (5th September).
With the help of the 24 Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras installed at the facility, they were able to identify the alleged trafficker of the child.
“After we reviewed the CCTV, we found out that the lady who took the child out of the gate was not a nurse. She is the sister of Phyllis Stevens, the nurse who was in charge of the ward,” Head of Operations at the Eastern Police Division, Assistant Superintendent Kelvin Abioseh Samura had told Concord Times.
He explained that Stevens called her sister, Regina Stevens who she gave the discharged card that enabled her to move out with the child through the exit gate.
He said Phyllis Steven had made a confessional statement to the police that she had got two miscarriages in succession and had a seven months pregnancy that she was not confident of having a successful delivery.