Suspect, Mallam Latif and some of the fake currencies
A self-styled fetish priest, Mallam Latif Abdul Mumuni, has been arrested by the police at Wassa Kwame-Dikrom in the Western Region for allegedly defrauding one John Opoku and some others.
The self-styled Mallam, who reportedly hails from Obuasi in the Ashanti Region, purportedly defrauded the victims under false pretenses.
John Opoku was said to have contracted Mallam Latif Abdul Mumuni to help him uncover gold buried by his late grandmother at Wassa Kwame Dikrom, a community, near Wassa Akropong in Western Region.
According to the sources, Mallam Mumuni succeeded in collecting a total of GH¢81,000 from the victim but failed to deliver the gold.
The Mallam gave the victim fake dollar, Euro, CFA and Cedi notes, amounting to GH¢1.5million.
John Opoku, who was unhappy with the development, reported the matter to a military police patrol team in the area, which helped him to arrest Mallam Mumuni on Saturday, December 30.
After the arrest, eight people from the same community accused the suspect of duping them.
The Wassa Akropong District Police Command has indicated that the suspect would be put before court on charges of defrauding by false pretenses and possession of fake currencies after investigations.
ASP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, Western Regional Police PRO, noted that at about 2:30pm on Sunday, December 31, 2017, John Opoku and three others from Wassa and Kwame Dikrom, assisted by Military Patrol Officers, arrested Mallam Latif Abdul Mumuni for defrauding them.
The said Mallam, according to the police PRO, took money from the complainants to enable him to uncover gold buried by their dead grandparents.
She noted that after buying some items for Mallam Latif to carry out the exercise, he failed to do so.
The complainants later realized that the notes were counterfeit and reported the matter to the police.
She noted that the suspect, who is police custody, would assist in police investigations.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi