Special Aide to the Western Regional Minister, Justice Acquah has disclosed that the Regional Minister allegedly paid GHS3,000 to the kidnappers of Josephine Panyin Mensah.

He said the demand for compensation came from the police, who together with the alleged pregnant woman’s parents, were seeking her whereabouts.

Justice Acquah says they wanted Josephine to return unhurt the reason they heeded to the demands of the kidnappers.

Speaking in an interview, Justice Acquah said the police were in close partnership with the parents of the lady searching for her and that was why the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, found it befitting to offer the money through their defense.

 “At the time my boss made the payment, the request had come from the police and not the parent because at that time, the mother was in collaboration with the police and they were jointly looking for the exact location of the kidnappers,” he told Citi News in an interview monitored by Metrotvonline.com.

He reiterated that the Minister made no payment to the kidnappers rather, the money was paid through the security agency, indicating that they were interested in the life of Josephine.

“The Minister did not make payment to the kidnappers. The money was given to Ghana Police to pay the ransom the kidnappers were demanding because we all wanted the lady to come back alive,” he indicated.

Mr. Acquah said he and his allies cared about the safety of the victim, noting the final amount the group agreed on went through a series of bargains before the said amount was delivered.

“We didn’t want the kidnappers to harm the lady. My boss paid an amount of GHS3,000 but the kidnappers started demanding GHS500 and then went ahead to increase it to a GHS1000 but I don’t know if, after the GHS1,000, it went up again,” he disclosed.

By: Ernest Tetteh Kabu | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana