Takoradi: 3 nabbed for fake kidnapping
The Takoradi Divisional Police Command has arrested three suspects for allegedly faking a kidnap and demanding a ransom of GH₵5,000.
They are, Joana Krah, aged 29; Susana Awortwe, aged 27 and Francis Eshun, aged 27.
According to police report, the suspect, Joana Krah, conspired with the two others to orchestrate her kidnap on Friday, October 22, 2021.
Thereafter, a call was placed to the adopted father of Ms Krah to demand for the ransom of GH₵5,000.
However, the suspect showed up on Saturday to declare that she was only being playful with the kidnapping accident.
“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, Saturday, October 23, to confess of only joking with her father that she was kidnapped.
The police said that further investigations led to the arrest of Susana Awortwe, and Francis Eshun, who together with Ms Krah would face the court today, October 25.
Accordingly, the police has cautioned the public to desist from the act of faking kidnapping for monetary gains, noting that such an act is criminal.
The police has emphasised that, “such perpetuators will be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the State.”
Police worried over fake kidnapping in Western Region
Last month, the Police Command in the Western region raised concern over a worrying trend in the region in the last few years, where people conspire with others to kidnap them.
The police said, it had observed a worrying trend of an increase in the number of false kidnapping cases over the years.
“More worrying is the fact that for a number of years, the Regional Command has recorded several false kidnapping cases where people conspire to create “self-kidnapping” incidents to make money out of ransoms,” the police said.
However, the Command noted that, “a team with support from the National Headquarters has been put together to quell this emerging crime in the Western Region.”
This came following the arrest of a 28-year-old pregnant woman, Josephine Panyin Mensah, who is currently in court for conspiring with other persons over her possible planned disappearance.
Preliminary investigation into the case
According to the police, following the reappearance of Ms Mensah on Tuesday, September 21, she was sent to the hospital for medical attention and examination.
The police have said that their findings noted that Ms Mensah “was never pregnant within the period under review, following thorough medical examination by the medical doctors at the Axim Government Hospital.”
READ ALSO: Three Arrested Over ‘Pregnant’ Woman Kidnapping; Victim Now A Suspect