Madonna sends plane to pick up African adoptee

By Stone Martindale Oct 16, 2006, 21:32 GMT

Madonna and daughter Lourdes - The "fast-tracking" of the adoption of 13-month-old David Banda by US pop diva Madonna is causing controversy in Malawi, Monday 16 October 2006. While some say it is a good thing that would ease the plight of Malawi\'s estimated one million Aids orphans, others fear it could set a bad precedent. EPA/DANIEL HAMBURY

A Malawi Children's charity is trying to stop Madonna from adopting a baby boy, but Madonna's adoption battle heats up today as the determined charity in Malawi heads to court to try to stop the pop star from adopting 1-year-old David Banda.

Earlier today, baby David left his home country in a private jet.

It has been less than a week since Madonna was granted an interim order allowing her to adopt David Banda, despite the country's laws that forbid nonresidents from adopting Malawian children.

Now, Malawi's largest children's charity is speaking out, saying that adoption is "not like selling property."

The father of the child says he didn't know about the adoption, but was later convinced by the orphanage that a "very nice Christian lady" would provide the best life for his son. His other two sons had died of malaria.

In a statement, Madonna's publicist said, "Madonna and her husband's plans to adopt a child from Malawi have been in the works for several months. Being granted the adoption was the first step in the legal process to bring the baby to England."

There is no doubt the large cash gift Madonna left behind has greased wheels and her celebrity status has steamrolled the Malawi legal system.

Thomas Atwood, president of the National Council for Adoption stated:  "The caricature is that rich, presumptuous Americans are buying babies. That's not what inter-country adoption is about," Atwood said.

Madonna left Africa initially without baby David. She also left behind a $3 million donation to help children infected with HIV.

Cash is king in the matters of adoption. 

"Certainly there's a lot of inequality in the world of adoption," said People magazine's JD Heyman.  "It's unfortunate that that's the way it is. I would also say what would you have them do? Not adopt the child?"