- Peter Murimi , 42, of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) who testified virtually, explained how a social worker at the hospital, Fred Leparan, sold a baby boy to a childless woman at Sh300,000.
Image: FILE
A social worker at the Mama Lucy Hospital has denied having received Sh 300,000 from a BBC journalist in the sale of babies at the facility.
Fred Leparan Makallah who is facing five counts of child theft and a child trafficking syndicate at the hospital also denied having been involved in child trafficking activities.
While giving his defence evidence before Milimani senior principal magistrate Esther Kimilu, Makallah informed the court all legal processes were followed in the allegedly abandoned three children at the Hospital.
Makallah is jointly charged with his social worker Selina Awour. They have since denied the five counts of child theft.
Led in evidence by his lawyer Danstan Omari the accused told the court that he never engaged himself in the illegal sale of babies at the hospital.
Earlier, a journalist attached to an international media house narrated how he exposed a child trafficking scam at the Mama Lucy Hospital in Nairobi in 2020.
Peter Murimi, 42, of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) who testified virtually, explained how a social worker at the hospital, Fred Leparan, sold a baby boy to a childless woman at Sh300,000.
In the case, Lawyer Kigen Robison is holding a brief for the BBC who were the whistleblowers.
Murimi, a director and producer of the film captioned “The baby stealers” that was aired by BBC, told the court that Sh300,000 was put on the table at the request of Makallah who proceeded to pocket the money
“The fact that Fred does not even have the confidence to receive the cash, being proceeds of the sale of a child, but nevertheless pockets the same, confirmed that he understands the illegal nature of his dealings,” said Murimi.
The witness told the court that Leparan did not want the “client” to get into the hospital to collect the child based on fears that it would raise suspicions.
He said that when the baby was delivered to the interested party who was waiting in a car outside the hospital, Leparan expressed fears his co-workers would become suspicious.
“This underlines our point that Fred knew that what he was doing was highly illegal. This also clearly confirmed that Fred is directing the transfer of the child to a supposed black market buyer under the guise of a legitimate transfer from the hospital to a children’s home,” said Murimi.
The accused alleged that on diverse dates between March and November 16, 2020, at Mama Lucy Hospital in Nairobi, jointly with others not before the court, conspired to commit a felony namely trafficking in persons contrary to the law.