Alleged Kidnapped T’di Pregnant Woman Fined By Court
The Takoradi Habour Circuit Court A has ruled against Josephine Panyin Mensah who made the headlines when she faked her pregnancy and Kidnapping in September 2021.
The court presided over by His Worship Michael Ampadu in his judgement imposed a fine of GHc7,200 on her.
29-year-old Josephine Panyin Mensah was reported to ‘missing’ on Thursday, September 16, 2021, when she went on her usual dawn walk and never returned home.
It was reported at the time that she was 9 months pregnant.
She however surfaced at Axim on September 21, 2021, without her baby bump or a baby.
The supposed victim of the kidnap then became a suspect and was charged with two counts of deceiving a public officer and publication of false news with intent to cause fear and panic.
She pleaded not guilty to all the charges in court.
During the ruling, the court reportedly acquitted her of deceiving a public officer however, she was found guilty of deceiving a public officer and publication of false news with the intent to cause fear and panic.
According to 3News, the judge explained that “In establishing the charge of deceiving a public officer, we need to establish that the complainant is a public officer and the one the offence directed at was a public officer performing or in active duty. Unfortunately, the complainant was the husband of Josephine Panyin Mensah, who is Michael Simmons and a businessman. And it has been clearly established that the complainant is not a public officer as even the police admitted that he is a businessman. And with that, the issue of a public officer and being on active duty cannot be established.”
He added, “She told the police that she was kidnapped and when she gained consciousness she saw 12 other pregnant women where she was who had all been killed. So if you have a relative who is pregnant and maybe had travelled this piece of information when you hear it will obviously make you panic.”
The judge then handed down a fine of Ghc7,200 instead of the maximum 3-year jail sentence for the offence because she is pregnant.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
