by Theckla Gunga – EM TV News, Port Moresby
A 32-year-old man is in police custody after he is alleged to have sold his two-month-old son for K500 on Sunday morning.
Keret Pori, from Kubalia in East Sepik, sold his son to two brothers from Wabag, at the Unagi Oval in Port Moresby.
His 26-year-old wife, Evodiah Saulep, claimed she was not aware of the sale but the men who bought the infant have a different story.
“I ran away from the house because he (Keret) was drunk and I was scared he would hit me again, so I went to my sister’s house,” Evodiah said.
She said she reported her husband to the Six Mile police station for physically assaulting her, and had no knowledge of her husband’s plan to sell their first born son.
“I took a cab to my relative’s house at Six Mile because I was afraid to return home but my relative told me to report the assault to the police.”
She returned with police to their home on Sunday morning but soon realised her baby was gone.
“I went with the police to get my son because I knew he would be hungry but when I went home my neighbours told me Keret sold our son,” Evodiah said.
“When we arrived at home, Keret was carrying a beer carton walking towards us, I asked him about Ryan (their son) and he told me he sold the baby and questioned the police on what they would do to him,” Evodiah told EMTV News.
She then placed another report against her husband at the Six Mile police station for selling their child.
The Michael brothers, who bought the baby had a different story though. The elder brother Abel Michael, who works as a security officer at the Gordons market said he was on his way to work when he ran into Keret and the infant.
“When I heard that Keret was selling his baby, I quickly asked my brother for K500 and we bought the baby, I don’t want to return the baby because I always wanted a child,” said Abel.
“We crossed from the Gordons International School to the Unagi Oval and Keret released the baby and he welcomed the K500,” said Abel.
He also said the infant was sold to them at 7am on Sunday and Evodia was also present at the time the baby was sold.
“We saw Evodiah when we bought the baby. She was watching us from a distance and didn’t say anything,” said the elder brother.
At 10am this morning, EMTV accompanied policeolice to pick up the infant from Waramin Block, the area where he was being housed.
The police then picked up the father who was at the Six Mile holding cell and transferred him to Gordons solice Station.
Following an interview with Gordons Station Commander, Mark Mosinakave, the father was put into custody and the case handed over to the Criminal Investigation Division for further investigations.
“This is the first time I have come across such a case and we should not be selling humans like another commodity,” Mosinakave said.
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