A 29-year-old woman, Joana Krah, who faked a kidnapping incident at Takoradi in the Western Region has been jailed for 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 before the court presided over by Michael Kwodjoe Ampoadu.
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 8years.
However, both sentences are to run concurrently and so she is to spend six years in prison.
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.
While in prison, her child is to be in the custody of her adopted father whom she had attempted to extort money from by faking the kidnapping incident.
The court said the sentence is to deter other people who may be considering a similar offence.
Before the sentence on Tuesday, the court ordered the police to do a pregnancy test. The case was adjourned when it was first called Tuesday morning.
When the police returned with a negative pregnancy test, the court handed her the jail sentence.
The other two are Susana Awortwe, aged 27 and Francis Eshun, aged 27.
They allegedly faked kidnapping and demanded a ransom of GH¢5,000 from her adopted father.
The police told the court that Joana Krah conspired with the other two others to feign her kidnapping on Friday, October 22, 2021, after which a call was placed to her adopted father in demand for the ransom.
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, to confess of only joking with her adopted father that she was kidnapped.
Further Police investigations led to the arrest of suspects, Susan Awortwe and Francis Eshun for their complicity.