The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service says it will seek counsel from the Attorney-General’s Department on how to proceed with verifying the HIV status of controversial AIDS ambassador, Joyce Dzidzor Mensah.
The police are investigating Ms. Mensah after she openly stated she lied about her HIV status which allowed her to join the Ghana Aids Commission’s (GAC) campaign against stigmatization of persons living with the disease, dubbed “Heart to Heart Campaign.”
Public Relations Officer of the CID, ASP Joseph Benefo Darkwa told the Super Morning Show on Joy FM, Friday, January 8, 2015 that, the former HIV/AIDS Ambassador is being investigated for allegedly committing the crime of “deceit of public officer.”
Under the AIDS Commission’s regulations, only persons who are HIV positive, can be Ambassadors in the “Heart to Heart” campaign. But the 27-year-old mother of two, who for years was the face of the country’s campaign against stigmatisation, now insists she never tested positive for the disease, a claim the GAC is contesting.
Her lawyer told Joy News, Thursday that his client will not comply with police directive to undertake an HIV test unless ordered by a competent court. According to Kojo Koranteng, the police have no capacity to ask Joyce Dzidzor Mensah to go for an HIV test.
Faced with this resistance, ASP Darkwa said the police will seek advice from the A-G’s Department on whether or not to go to court to compel the lady in question to submit herself for a test, when investigations are completed.
“When there is an evidence that this is what she has done, then we will go to the A-G’s Department for advice and if they advise us to go to court, we will go to court,” the PRO told host of the Show, Kojo Yankson.
He said despite her public admission that she faked her HIV status, the police can only charge her for the offence after establishing otherwise.
“There is still the need to investigate; it’s not just by word of mouth…we have to get the evidence to show”.
Dzidzor has since been granted bail and is expected to report back at the CID Headquarters next week to assist with investigations.
