Fake evangelist nabbed

A 24-year-old self-styled evangelist, Emmanuel Kwaakye, who succeeded in defrauding two people at Asinadze near Cape Coast in the Central Region, has found himself in the grip of the law.

Kwaakye, who was charged with the offence of conspiracy to commit a crime by false pretences was granted bail to the sum of GH¢10,000 with two sureties; one to be justified.

Kwaakye, who appeared before a Cape Coast magistrate court, presided over by William Baffour, pleaded not guilty on count one, pleaded guilty with explanation on count two and not guilty on count three.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Christiana Sampong said the first complainant, Eric Ashong, is a taxi driver residing at Asinadze while the second complainant, Felicia Arthur, is a trader and resides at Budumburam near Kasoa.

Chief Inspector Sampong told the court that Kwaakye and his accomplice, Kweku Joshua, now at large, were both evangelists preaching at Abura taxi station.

The prosecution said during the month of October and November last year, Kwaakye during the course of his preaching made an appeal for an accommodation since he claimed the hotel bills were unbearable for him.

The prosecutor said Mr Ashong, who was touched by his story, introduced him to his mother who gave Kwaakye a room in her house at Asinadze to occupy freely.

Chief Inspector Sampong added that Kwaakye immediately after the introduction told Ashong he has had a vision that Mr Ashong’s late father was killed by ‘juju’ because the deceased had planted some bars of gold at the back of their home.

Chief Inspector Sampong also disclosed Kwaakye asked the rest of the family to dig the gold out else they would perish.

The culprit then asked for an amount of GH¢240 from the family which was to be used for the purchase of anointing oil for the rituals.

The prosecutor stated that on the following day around 7:30pm, Kwaakye 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.

Kwaakye later invited Joshua to the house and introduced him as his colleague who was coming to help him dig out the gold.

Kwaakye and Joshua succeeded in collecting an amount of GH¢600 from Ashong and the mother under the pretext of buying them oil from Kumasi to be used for the rituals but bolted away.

Chief Inspector Sampong said a search conducted in the room of Kwaakye revealed a piece of red cloth, red and black sewing thread, small pins, small mirror, a Bible tide with black sewing thread with keys inside, suggesting that the suspect made the pot himself and planted it at the back of the house.

The prosecutor hinted that during the same period, Ashong had introduced Kwaakye to Felicia Arthur who had been duped of a GH¢1000 under similar circumstances.

On February 18, Kwaakye ran 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 Kwaakye added that in Ms. Arthur’s case, he bought the oil but left it in a VIP bus.