Samuel Kobena Agyemang, aka Oscar the farmer, was said to have planned to sell his two-year-old daughter and use the proceeds to travel to Accra to trade since life was too difficult for him in the village.
A source at the Swedru Divisional Police Command told the media at Agona Swedru that Agyemang confided in some friends to look for a prospective buyer as he wanted to sell his daughter.
It said the suspect divorced his wife about a month ago and went for the child without her consent.
The persistent pressure he mounted on the friends to look for a buyer made them decide to alert the police on August 15, 2022, who went to Agona Asafo, and feigned interest in buying the child.
“They started bargaining for the price and the unsympathetic father agreed to sell his biological daughter for 20,000 Ghana cedis,” it said.
The amount was fully paid to Agyemang and the child was taken away by the police and the father was arrested in the process.
When the father was questioned about his decision to sell the girl he said his wife (name withheld), “had divorced him so the only thing left is to sell the daughter and travel to Accra to do business with the money,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the suspect has been remanded into prison custody by the Agona Swedru Circuit Court and will reappear on September 1, 2022 after he pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted sale of a daughter.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Isaac Amon said the accused was a native of Aburi Akuapem and resident at Agona Asafo, near Agona Swedru.
He told the court, presided over by Mr Jonathan Nunoo, that on August 15, 2022, at about 1600 hours, the police received information that Agyemang wanted to sell his two-year old daughter and they feigned interest as buyers, which led to his arrest.