A spiritualist cum herbalist, Jibril Musah, is currently standing trial at the Nsuaem/Kyekyewere circuit court for allegedly defrauding a trader to the tune of GHȼ85,000 under false pretence.
Musah, affectionately called Alhaji, is said to have defrauded 49-year-old Mary Oppong with whom he lives in the same community at Assin Ngyiresi, under the guise of retrieving a hidden family treasure for her.
He has been charged with defrauding by false pretence contrary to session 131 of the Criminal Code 1960 (Act29).
According to police prosecutor, Chief Inspector Gilbert Anyongo, Mary Oppong the complainant, sent her mother to Alhaji for treatment, whereupon he allegedly initiated the healing process.
In the course of the healing in November 2021, Alhaji is said to have claimed seeing in the spiritual realm that the late father of the complainant had hidden a treasure (gold) on a land at Assin Ochiso, and that it required the performance of certain rituals for retrieval.
Alhaji allegedly gave a mobile phone number claiming it is for the famed sea goddess “Maame Water” and subsequently made cash demands to enable him procure items needed for the rituals to uncover the hidden gold.
Mary Oppong in turn, is said to have informed her family members to make contributions to aid the process, instructing that family members who failed to contribute stood no chance of benefiting from the loot once it materialised. Contributions yielded GHȼ85,000.
Alhaji, however, upon receiving the money, vanished without delivering the said gold treasure.
Mary Oppong, who came under intense pressure from family members who contributed the money, then lodged a complaint with the police.
After several months of police investigation, Alhaji was arrested, charged and sent to the Nsuaem/Kyekyewere Circuit Court for trial.
The court presided over by Her Honour Dorinda Smith Arthur, remanded Alhaji into Police custody to reappear on July 13, 2023 after he pleaded not guilty to the charge.