As the alleged fake kidnapping and pregnancy case in the Western Region lingers on, two witnesses were given the opportunity to testify before the Takoradi Habour Circuit Court A on Thursday, January 6, 2022.
The two are Michael Simons, husband of Josephine Panyin Mensah, the accused person, and her mother, Agnes Essel.
They both refuted some of the statements they allegedly gave to the police when they were presented before the court by the Prosecutor, Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Basintale.
They thus prayed the court, presided over by his worship, Michael Kwodjoe Ampadu, to accept their new statement as evidence-in-chief.
During his cross-examination by lawyer for the accused, Philip Fiifi Buckman, Michael Simons told the court that he saw the stomach of his pregnant wife before she went missing.
This was contrary to what Chief Inspector Emmanuel Basintale told the court. The Chief Inspector had indicated to the court that, Michael Simons had clearly stated in his original statement that he did not see his wife’s pregnant stomach. But the accused person’s lawyer objected to the claim, which was upheld by the court.
When the second witness, Agnes Essel, mounted the box, she also refuted paragraph 19 in her earlier statement to the police that she didn’t see the pregnant stomach of Josephine Panyin Mensah.
“I never told the police I had not seen the pregnant stomach of my daughter”, she told the court.
Madam Agnes also told the Circuit Court that, she went to the Axim hospital and saw her daughter without the pregnancy but had a pad on when she accompanied her to the washroom.
At the Efffia-Nkwanta Hospital, witness Agnes Essel said in her cross-examination that she went in with her daughter but was not privy to the test conducted on her, but was later asked by the police to admit to the doctor’s report.
“I went with my daughter to the doctor’s room but was not allowed to see the examination that took place in a different room. I didn’t also sit through any police interrogation. The police later asked me to agree to what the doctor had told them that my daughter was not pregnant, or they will lock me up,” she added.
The case has been adjourned to 13th January.
Josephine Panyin Mensah has been charged with two counts of deceiving 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.
