Woman Denies Trying to Sell Baby for Dh8,500 Mary Nammour
Woman Denies Trying to Sell Baby for Dh8,500 Mary Nammour
4 March 2010, DUBAI — A woman cook denied in court on Wednesday that she had surreptitiously tried to sell another woman’s newborn baby boy to undercover police officers for Dh8,500 in October.
The 24-year-old Indonesian cook claimed before the Court of First Instance that she had only wanted to give away the baby for adoption with his biological mother’s consent. Denying that she asked for any money in exchange, she pleaded not guilty to the human trafficking charge against her that was read out by the presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir.
However, according to court records, the cook had initially offered the baby for Dh10,000 before settling for Dh8,500. She told the baby’s biological mother that the baby was being given away to an Emirati family for adoption.
An woman sergeant from the Anti-Organized Crime Department’s Human Trafficking Section told the prosecutors that on October 30 she had received a telephone call regarding the case. She added, “I was informed that the defendant was about to sell a newborn (baby boy) for Dh10,000. I was given her number.”
The sergeant said that the cook had initially asked for this amount but, following some negotiations, had settled for Dh 8,500 when they met in the Jumeirah 1 area.
“When she got in our car she asked us not to tell the woman (the baby boy’s real mother) who would bring the baby about the price. She wanted us to take the baby until the woman leaves and then give her the money,” the sergeant added.
The arrest of the two women followed shortly afterward.
When questioned by the police officers, the cook claimed that she had met the baby boy’s mother and alleged that the latter had had an illegitimate child. The cook added that the baby’s mother did not have any official documents for the baby but wanted to leave the country. The defendant then suggested to the other woman that she give away the little for adoption by local family. The baby’s mother, according to court records, approved of the idea but was not aware that the defendant wanted to sell the baby and collect some money for herself.
Two other police officers, who accompanied the woman sergeant when she met the defendant, confirmed her statement.
The case registered against the baby’s mother (whose DNA link with the baby has been matched and confirmed) is being handled by the Naturalization and Residency Prosecution under the supervision of Chief Prosecutor Ali Humaid Bin Khatem.
mary@khaleejtimes.com
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