By: Marie Aziz Tunde
The 29-year-old woman, Joana Krah, who faked a kidnapping incident last week in Takoradi in the Western Region has been jailed six years.
She was sentenced by the Takoradi Harbour Circuit Court A on two counts of deceiving a public officer and publication of false news.
This was after she pleaded guilty to the offences on Monday, October 25, 2021 when she was arraigned.
For the publication of false news, she was sentenced to two years in prison and for the charge of deceiving a public officer, she was sentenced to six years in prison to bring the total sentence to 8-years.
However, both sentences are to run concurrently and so she is to spend six years in prison.
Background
On Friday, October 22, 2021, Joana Krah, a 29-year-old woman in a bid to extort an amount of GH¢5,000 from a relative faked her kidnapping with the help of her two friends.
When Joana became aware that her adopted father had reported to the Police and an extensive search had commenced to find her, she showed up at the Takoradi Central Police Station on Saturday, October 23, 2021 to confess of only joking with her adopted father that she was kidnapped.
Court Proceedings
Joana Krah was on Monday, October 25, 2021, arraigned before the Takoradi Habour Circuit Court A, presided over by his honour Michael Ampadu.
Although earlier police reports indicated that suspect Joana Krah conspired with other two suspects–Susan Awortwe and Francis Eshun– to fake her kidnapping, the other two were not brought to court.
Before the Presiding Judge sentenced Joana, he temporarily adjourned proceedings and called for a pregnancy test which came out negative to be carried out at the Takoradi hospital.
The court said it took into consideration the fact that Joana is a first time offender, she has a child and the fact that she cooperated with investigators and reported herself to the police when the matter was reported to the police.
The court said the sentence is to deter other people who may be considering a similar offence.
Meanwhile, the case of a Takoradi lady, Josephine Payin Mensah who faked a pregnancy and a kidnap is pending at the same court.
Public Reaction
Some members of the public who were at the court premises were appalled by recent happenings in Takoradi.
Most of them were of the view that this will affect police operations and general attitude towards news of kidnap some of which may be real.
