The Ghana Police Service says it is currently counting on medical officers in Takoradi for a second opinion on the alleged pregnancy of Josephine Panyin Mensah, the woman alleged to have been kidnapped last week with her 9-month pregnancy.
The Director of Public Affairs at the Ghana Police Service, ACP Kwesi Ofori, in an interview with Citi News, said the police is relying on the medical expertise of health officials to unravel the situation.
The fact about whether Josephine Panyin Mensah’s alleged pregnancy was real remains a conundrum.
When she was found in Axim, several miles away from Takoradi where she disappeared, she was mute, unkempt and without any sign of the said pregnancy.
Claims that she delivered on the same day she was allegedly kidnapped and the baby taken away by the kidnappers have been put under scrutiny with the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah stating on Wednesday, September 22 that the said pregnancy was fake.
The police administration in a subsequent statement confirmed the minister’s claim.
Some members of the public, including Josephine Panyin Mensah’s family and neighbours, insist she was pregnant at the time of her disappearance.
According to ACP Kwesi Ofori, owing to the contention, the police is seeking a second opinion at another health facility and will not hesitate to seek a third opinion or even employ the services of the country’s premier health facility, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to conduct tests to ascertain the claims of her alleged pregnancy.
“In dealing with such cases that border on forensic, scientific and other medical examinations, we rely mostly on experts and this is the case where the lady was sent to the medical centre at Axim which is the best practice for the police to follow having discovered her.”
“Police after listening to the court of public opinion advised the medical team to conduct a thorough examination regarding the pregnancy and alleged birth and doctors of good knowledge and competence conducted their investigation and gave a formal report to the police that there was no sign of pregnancy or giving birth and as such, they concluded that matter… The police took her again from Axim Government Hospital to the European Hospital and the lady is presently on admission looking out for a second opinion.”
ACP Ofori said the police will not hesitate in deploying all of its technology and skills to get to the bottom of the matter.
He further urged the public to respect the professional views and reports of the medical experts tasked to help unravel the issue.
“We have employed and deployed all facilities necessary for us to establish the truth through a fair and impartial mechanism. The opinion of the doctors should be respected. The second opinion that is about to come out should be respected… We will rely on the experts and not what people say regarding this technical issue. Even if it is a third opinion, the police will do it at the apex hospital, being the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.”
The police chief has however given indications that details about the suspects who have been picked up in connection with the case will be made public in subsequent communications.
