Court fines Takoradi woman who faked kidnapping, pregnancy GHC7,200

Josephine Panyin Simons Mensah the lady at the centre of the fake pregnancy and kidnapping in Takoradi has been fined GHC7,200 by the Takoradi Circuit court A presided over by His Honour, Michael Ampadu on count two of her offense.

She has 14 days to pay the fine.

The accused has been fined for publication of false news with intent to cause fear and panic per Sec 208(1) of the Criminal Offences Act.

She was however acquitted of the charge of deceiving a public officer contrary to Sec251(B) of same Act.

News of her purported kidnapping went viral in September 2021, after her husband Michael Simons had reported that, Josephine Panyin Mensah who was pregnant had been kidnapped while on her usual morning walk. She was later found in Axim miles away from her home in Takoradi.

She was later arrested after Police investigation revealed that she had staged the whole pregnancy and kidnapping incident to which she later confessed.

Subsequently, throughout her court hearing, only two witnesses, her husband and the mother of the eight witnesses stated that she was neither pregnant nor kidnapped.