A 28-year-old confidence trickster, Kwame Obeng Tutu, has been jailed seven years for stealing two mobile phones after playing “spiritual tricks” on the owners.
The self-acclaimed spiritualist managed to obtain the iPhone 7 plus mobile phone (valued GH¢3,000), silver necklace (valued GH¢120) and perfumes (valued GH¢270) of one Daniel Osei Effah, and an Infinix Spark 3 mobile phone (valued GH¢750) of Joseph Amedomey at Dominase in the Ashanti Region on October 30, 2020 and bolted with them.
Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Ofori, prosecuting, said the complainants, Mr. Effah and Mr. Amedomey, were a teacher and a health worker respectively, while convict Mr. Tutu, a resident of Tanoso in the Kwadaso Municipality, claimed to be a soothsayer.
According to him, on October 30, the convict went to Mr. Effah’s residence at Dominase in the Bekwai Municipality of the Ashanti Region and started telling the complainant happenings in his life.
The prosecutor told the Bekwai Circuit Court that Mr. Tutu told the complainant that he was a soothsayer and could help him bind all spiritual attacks.
Chief Inspector Ofori said the convict requested the complainant to furnish him with both old and new pictures of the complainant’s cocoa farm which he obliged.
He narrated that the complainant handed his wife’s iPhone 7 plus mobile phone, which had the requested pictures, and left his home in order to allow the convict to carry out his spiritual exorcism.
Mr. Tutu, upon realizing the absence of the complainant, additionally took the silver necklace of Osei Effah and two new perfumes and absconded.
The prosecutor said the convict, on the same day, encountered complainant Mr. Amedomey and played the same tricks on him and absconded with his infinix smart 3 mobile phone after telling him he was going to perform the rituals at a nearby stream.
On November 29, the complainants had information that Mr. Tutu had been arrested at Tanoso and taken to the Tanoso Police Station.
He was identified by the complainants and subsequently admitted stealing the goods.
The complainants also lodged formal complaints at Senfi Police Station. Mr. Tutu was handed over to the Senfi Police for investigations during which he led the police to Kejetia New Station where he claimed to have sold the phones to a vendor.
He could not identify the said trader during the visit on December 2, 2020. He was arraigned after a police investigation.
By Ernest Kofi Adu