TRAFFICKING SYNDICATE

Mama Lucy child theft signatures belong to two NMS medics

The court says Leparan and Adundo are part of a trafficking syndicate at the hospital.

In Summary
  • The  court heard that the handwriting and signature are similar in terms of letter construction pen pressure and connecting strokes.
  • They are alleged that on diverse dates at the facility, with others not before court, they conspired to commit a felony.
Milimani Law Court.
Milimani Law Court.
Image: FILE

A Nairobi court on Tuesday heard that the signatures found in the documents in the Mama Lucy Hospital child theft case belong to two Nairobi Metropolitan Service medical employees.

DCI Forensic Document Examination Section head John Muinde produced in court documents as evidence with the signatures of the two medics.

They are Makallah Fred Leparan and Selina Awuor Adundo.

Muinde was testifying in a case where Leparan and Adundo are charged with child trafficking syndicate at the hospital.

Milimani senior principal magistrate Esther Kimilu was told that the handwriting and signatures when compared with specimen handwriting and signatures of Leparan were made by the same author.

He added that the handwriting and signature are similar in terms of structural, size, baseline habits, letter construction, particular point of pen, character construction, pen pressure and connecting strokes.

The documents were received on December 21, 2020 for examination.

“The documents are questionnaire release letters of abandoned babies from Mama Lucy Hospital, questionnaire release letter by Brian Kimeu and Morris addressed to children officer Embakasi subcounty," the court heard.

Another witness Girian Karimi Njeru, a manager at Imani Rehabilitation Agency, told court that the three children were released from Mama Lucy Hospital and taken to the rehabilitation centre.

She testified that they verified and confirmed all the required documents, however they didn’t have a committal order as required by the law.

During the hearing, she said that one of the children passed on. Two of the children were present in court.

Upon cross examination, she said that they applied for the committal order.

According to Njeru, the accused persons in the case never attempted to steal the children while in their custody.

The two workers are facing charges of trafficking in persons contrary to the law, conspiracy to commit a felony, namely trafficking in persons, neglect of a child, among other charges.

They are alleged that on diverse dates between March and November 16, 2020 at Mama Lucy Hospital, in Nairobi jointly with others not before court, they conspired to commit a felony.

They allegedly trafficked on the dates between April 30 and May 13, 2020 at the said hospital, jointly received and transferred three children aged  three weeks, two months and eight days.

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