A journalist with Takoradi-based Connect FM has been granted a ¢50,000 bail by the Takoradi Harbour Circuit Court.

Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson was arrested by the Police for his alleged involvement in publishing a fake kidnapping incident at Mpohor in the Western Region.

He has, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges of publication of false news with the intent of causing fear and alarm to the public contrary to the Public Order Act and false publication of news through an electronic device.

The journalist is not the only one being prosecuted for the alleged fake kidnapping incident.

Stephen Kumi, the boyfriend of the woman alleged to have been kidnapped, has also pleaded not guilty to the two charges.

He is still on remand, expected to reappear in court on Tuesday, November 16, 2021.

Last month, the news went viral of the alleged abduction of Stephanie Kumiwaa, 26, at Mpohor in the Western Region.

But the Police, in a statement signed by the Head of Public Affairs at the Western Regional Police Command, DSP Olivia Adiku, said that checks at "Mpohor Police District Command indicated that no such case had been reported there."

Mr Kumi informed the Police during interrogation that he met the victim on Facebook, and they started dating.

On October 17, 2021, Stephanie called to inform Stephen that she was visiting him, but he did not show up.

But on October 19, Stephen received a call from a friend of Stephanie's that someone called on her (Stephanie's) phone, claiming that she had been kidnapped.

The suspected abductors demanded a ransom of ¢2,000.

The Police said Stephen Kumi was escorted to Mpohor, but all efforts to locate the residence, family relations of Stephanie and Sandra for confirmation of the alleged incident proved futile.

"The Western Regional Police Command wants to use this opportunity to remind the media that they should crosscheck all information from the Command for confirmation before publications are done.

"The Police will continue to collaborate with them to combat crime in the Region," part of a statement from the Police reads.

Reports of kidnapping are rampant in the Western Regional capital twin towns of Sekondi-Takoradi.

The latest report is the third fake kidnapping case in the Region since September this year.

Joana Krah, 29, was recently handed a six-year sentence after confessing to faking her kidnapping to extort ¢5,000 from her Godfather.

Another woman, Josephine Mensah, was in court two weeks ago for faking a pregnancy and subsequent kidnapping.

She has pleaded not guilty to the charges of deceiving a public officer and publication of false news with the intent to cause fear and panic.

Meanwhile, Police in the Western Region have expressed worry over the increase in false kidnapping cases in the area as people conspire to create "self-kidnapping" incidents to make money out of ransoms.