The Takoradi Harbour Circuit ‘A ‘presided over by Justice Michael Ampadu has sentenced Josephine Panyin Mensah Simmons at the centre of the fake pregnancy and kidnap case to pay a 600 penalty unit fine which is equivalent to Sevent Thousand Ghana cedis to the State.
Josephine Panyin Mensah was standing trial on two counts.
These counts are deceiving of a public officer contrary to section 251 (B) of the Criminal office’s Act and publication of false news with intent to cause fear and panic contrary to section 208 subsection 1 of the act of the criminal offence.
An early pregnancy test carried on the accused proved that she is currently pregnant and that saved her from serving the three year-jail term which was usually associated with misdemeanors.
Josephine Panyin narrated to the court how she was kidnapped and met 12 other pregnant women in a secluded place where she was delivered of her daughter and later found herself at Axim.
The court through investigations and further interrogations with the accused later established that the above never happened in the course of time.
However, Judge Micheal Ampadu, did not see merit in the first count of charge of deceiving public officer explaining that the complainant in the case was the accused husband and not any public officer who initially reported the missing of his wife to the police.
“The complainant is not a public officer, but the husband of the accused…so nobody can tell me that the accused person deceived a public officer or is liable…I therefore acquit and discharge her on that count”.
Justice Micheal Ampadu in a two and half duration took turns to read the portions of all eight prosecution witness statements which collaborated with the accused confession statement that she feigned the act of kidnap and pregnancy because she could not bear the shame of communicating her initial miscarriage to the husband.
Justice Ampadu said, “what will make a woman go through all the stress of walking from Takoradi to Agona Nkwanta and continued on foot to Axim bearing all the risks in mind…I think families must begin to support women, especially when they miscarriage because it is a natural act”.
Josephine has up to two weeks to pay the fine.
