“I saw my wife’s physical belly from the first month to the tenth month when we moved from our residence in Colombia, a suburb of Takoradi, to live with her mother at the Old Johnsaba road”.
This is according to the husband of Josephine Payin Simons, the lady at the centre of the fake pregnancy and kidnapping case in the Western Region.
Michael Simons made these comments during cross-examination by the lead counsel for the accused, Fiifi Buckman, at the Takoradi Circuit Court A.
On Thursday, the full trial began with the cross-examination of two of the prosecution witnesses: Michael Simons and the mother of the accused, Agnes Essel.
When the husband was called, he was asked how long he had stayed with the wife before she conceived, and he answered, “two and half years”.
The lawyer, Philip Fiifi Buckman, further asked if he ever saw the wife’s nakedness during her pregnancy, to which he replied in the affirmative.
“I saw my wife naked while pregnant between five and six months and even to the tenth month when she moved to join the mother at old John Sarbah road to await her safe delivery”.
The husband provided more answers to questions posed by Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Basantale, the prosecutor when he adduced evidence in Chief for the trial.
Afterwards, the lead counsel queried the witness: “did you suspect or know your wife to be pregnant, did you see her physical tummy without cloth, and for how long did you stay with her as a wife”.
In re-examination, the Prosecutor tried raising questions that seemed to have been answered and was quickly interjected by the lead Counsel saying, “these questions don’t pass for re-examination: this process is either to clear ambiguity or new and factual matters had come to play”.
Judge Micheal Kojo Ampadu upheld the objection adding that all needed information was on record.
The second witness who appeared before the court was the mother of the accused, Agnes Essel, who admitted that Josephine Simons was her biological daughter and indeed pregnant.
She said though she went to Axim, she could not stay with the daughter at the hospital.
Madam Essel added that “she could not speak, but only signed and she was in handcuffs at Axim and after our transfer to Effia Nkwanta Hospital, I was not allowed to stay with her”.
The lead counsel queried what happened at the Police Station and the issues surrounding that encounter.
Madam Agnes Essel answered: “I was asked to agree with what the medics have said that my daughter was not pregnant, but I couldn’t do that, so I was locked up for a day”.
Meanwhile, Prosecutor Basantale did not carry out any examination during the hearing.
The judge adjourned the case to January 13, to allow other witnesses to testify.
Source: Myjoyonline