General News of Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Source: Ghanaian Times

Girl arrested for faking pregnancy

A 20-year-old house help, Ivy Nkrumah, has been arrested for faking pregnancy.

She was said to have stuffed rags around her stomach in order to collect monies from her boyfriend, Francis Osei Bonsu.

The Station Officer of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), Inspector Who Knows Attipoe, told journalists in Accra yesterday that somewhere in June this year the suspect reported to DOVVSU at her boyfriend, Bonsu, a businessman, had impregnated her and had failed to cater for her. He said DOVVSU referred the case to the Social Welfare where Bonsu was asked to remit an amount of GH¢50 every month and also take care of her medical expenses until she delivered.

Inspector Attipoe said Bonsu subsequently started paying the Money through the Social Welfare to Ivy.

Later, Bonsu suspected that Ivy was not pregnant and decided to stop paying the money and was later called by the officials of the Social Welfare to explain why.

Inspector Attipoe said officials of the Social Welfare, then referred the case to a Family Tribunal Court in Accra where it was decided that Bonsu pays GH¢100 every month and rent a place for her.

According to the station officer, he paid the GH¢100 once and did not pay again because he was still suspicious that Ivy was not really pregnant.

Inspector Attipoe said when he failed to pay the following month, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest on December 9.

At the court, Bonsu insisted that he suspected the pregnancy was faked.

The court therefore, conducted an examination on her and realised that Ivy had tied rags around her belly and she was subsequently arrested.

The Crime officer said she would be put before court for defrauding by false pretence and deceit of a public officer.

In an interview with the suspect, Ivy claimed she got pregnant with Bonsu, but later had a miscarriage.

She said she did that to pay the man back because Bonsu promised to cater for her but reneged.