A self-styled Evangelist from the Ashanti Region who allegedly defrauded two persons in the Central Region in the sum of GHC1, 840.00 under the pretext of digging up gold and “juju” hidden in their houses, is in the grips of the law.
Emmanuel Kwaakye, 24, was granted bail by a Cape Coast District Magistrate’s court in the sum of GHC10, 000.00 with two sureties, one to be justified.
Sporting a pink suit and white shirt, Kwaakye pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit crime to wit defrauding by false pretenses, guilty with explanation to defrauding and not guilty to another charge of defrauding.
His accomplice, whose name was only given as Kweku Joshua is currently on the run.
Inspector Christina Sampong, prosecuting, told the court presided over by Mr. William Baffoe that the complainants are Mr. Eric Ashong a taxi driver, resident at Asinadze near Cape Coast and Ms. Felicia Arthur, resident at Budumburam near Kasoa.
She said in the month of October and November last year, Evangelist Kwakye was preaching at Abura, Cape Coast Taxi Station where Mr. Ashong works, during which he appealed for accommodation since according to him his hotel bills were unbearable.
Mr. Ashong who was touched introduced him to his mother who gave Kwaakye a room in her house at Asinadze to occupy for free.
According to the prosecutor Kwaakye claimed he had a vision that Mr. Ashong’s late father was killed by a “Juju” some of his family members planted because of some gold the deceased had hidden there.
Kwaakye stated that if the juju was not dug out, the rest of the family would die and Mr. Ashong and his mother, fully convinced gave him Ghc240.00 to buy anointing oil for rituals to dig the juju out.
Inspector Sampong said the following day, at about 1900hrs, Kwakye led Mr. Ashong and his family to the back of their house and with a shovel, dug out a small pot tied with red thread, red pieces of cloth and some cowries, containing small pins and small arrows and handed it over to Mr. Ashong.
Later Kwaakye took his accomplice to the house and introduced him to Mr. Ashong as the one who could dig out the gold and collected GHc600.00 from Mr. Ashong and his mother under the pretext of buying oil from Kumasi to be used for rituals.
The self-styled evangelist was also introduced to one Ms. Arthur who was said to be going through financial crisis and she took him to her house at Budumburam near Kasoa where the Evangelist said her financial problems was due to some juju planted in her house and succeeded in collecting Ghc1000 under the pretext of buying oil from Kumasi but bolted
When a search was conducted in the room he occupied, they found pieces of red cloth, red and black sewing threads, small pins, a small mirror, Bible tied with black sewing thread with a Key inside, suggesting that the Evangelist made the pot himself and planted it behind the house.
On Wednesday February 18, this year, Kwaakye run out of luck as he was spotted at Yamoransa near Cape Coast and was arrested and during police interrogation he said it was his accomplice who bolted with Mr. Ashong’s money.
She said Kwakye added that in Ms. Arthur's case, he bought the oil but left it in a VIP bus.
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