The Takoradi Circuit Court A will on January 6, 2022, begin the trial of Josephine Panyin, 27, who has been accused of faking her kidnapping in September this year, in Takoradi in the Western Region.
This follows the completion of a Case Management Conference (CMC) at the court by both counsel for accused and the prosecution.
At the hearing yesterday, the prosecutor, Superintendent Emmanuel Basintale Amadu, told the court presided over by Mr Michael Ampadu that the police had concluded their investigations and were ready for prosecution.
He mentioned that the prosecution would rely on seven witnesses, including Michael Simmons, husband of Josephine, Agnes Essel, mother, Ebenezer Nyanney of Axim, Dr George Peprah, Takoradi Hospital (European Hospital), Dr Jerry James Abrokwa, the Medical officer at Axim Government of Hospital and Dr Samuel Agyemang, a gynaecologist at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital (ENRH).
Superintendent Amadu said the prosecution would also rely on evidence, including photograph of Josephine, an order by the Takoradi District Magistrate Court for disclosure of information from MTN Ghana and medical reports from Axim and Takoradi and ENRH.
Giving his ruling on the matter, Mr Ampadu said the case would be heard on every Thursday to expedite proceedings.
He added that the case before the court was of public interest and so the court would not entertain any excuses from any quarter.
Counsel for the accused, Fiifi Buckman, prayed the court to vary the date for commencement of the case, but Justice Ampadu stuck to the stipulated day.
Josephine pleaded not guilty to charges of publication of false news and deceit of public officer and was granted bail in the sum of GH¢50,000, with two sureties and one to be justified.
Superintendent Amadu recalled that the accused resides at Old John Sabbah Road in Takoradi, and that at about 4.05 p.m. on September 16, 2021, Michael Simons, the husband, informed the police that his wife, 10months pregnant and living with her mother, Agnes Essel, left home for a health walk but did not return.
The prosecutor said Josephine’s mother also reported that at about 3:30 p.m. the same day, an unknown person called her on MTN number, 0599601438, and she heard the voice of Josephine crying at an undisclosed location.
He said also that in the course of investigations, the police discovered that the said number called from Agona Nkwanta in the Ahanta West District and that it was registered in Josephine’s name and so they traced her but did not find her.
Superintendent Amadu added that at about 11: 55a.m. on September 21, 2021, while a massive search was in progress, the police had Intelligence indicating that Josephine had been found at Axim in the Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region.
The police, he told the court, went to Axim and Josephine was conveyed from the premises of the Jehovah Witnesses Kingdom Hall to Axim Government Hospital for treatment.
The prosecutor indicated that Josephine later narrated that she was pregnant and that she was kidnapped during a walk on September 16, 2021, at about 4:30a.m. by unknown persons who covered her mouth with cloth, making her unconscious.
The accused again said she met about 12 unknown women kidnapped by her captors and the 12 were all killed, and that she gave birth to a baby girl and afterwards fell unconscious for the second time and had no idea how she got to Axim, the court heard.
Meanwhile, doctors who examined the accused at the Axim Government Hospital had told police that they did not notice any postpartum sign and that doctors at ENRH also confirmed that she had not given birth within the six days that she went missing and resurfaced.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, TAKORADI
