A 30-year-old self-styled spiritualist, who defrauded a couple under the pretext of providing them winning lotto numbers, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Kumasi Circuit Court.
Hassan Talha, pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding by false pretences, but the court presided by Mrs Patricia Amponsah found him guilty and sentenced him.
The convict, who is also a herbalist, collected GH¢2,000.00 from the couple to buy items to perform rituals to conjure the winning numbers, but the numbers failed to ‘drop’.
The herbalist convinced the couple to again part away with GH¢94,000.00 to enable him buy items to perform rituals to retrieve gold allegedly buried in their family house at Ahafo-Kenyasi No. 2, in the Ahafo Region.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Felix Akowuah, told the Court that Charles Addai and his wife, Emelia Oppong, the complainants, resided at North Suntreso, in Kumasi, while the convict resided at Asante Mampong.
Prosecution said in June 2016, the convict introduced himself to Addai as a spiritualist who could provide him with winning lotto numbers through the spiritual means.
ASP Akowuah said Talha collected GH₵2,000.00 from Addai to buy items for rituals to enable him to conjure the winning lotto numbers, but failed to honour his promise.
Prosecution said when the convict had a motor accident and was admitted at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, the complainants took care of him till he was discharged and also accommodated him in their house.
ASP Akowuah told the court that, the convict told the complainants that to show appreciation to them, he was going to help them to spiritually retrieve a pot of gold which had been buried in the family house of Emelia at Ahafo-Kenyasi No. 2.
The court heard that Talha collected GH₵94,000.00 from the complainants to buy some items for the rituals, and went into hiding and all efforts to trace him proved futile.
A report was made to the Ashanti Regional CID, and the convict was arrested from his hideout at Asante Mampong. – GNA
