Police Grab 6 Fake Fetish Priests

The Eastern regional police command has apprehended six fetish priests four of who are alleged to have defrauded twelve persons to the tune of GH�86,394.00 under the pretext of multiplying monies presented to them by their victims. The suspects are Nana Yaw Sofehu alias Togbe Shittor, 32, Farouk Alhassan, alias Okomfo Anokye Ketewa, 32, Ibrahim Alhassan, 26, and Adjei Emmanuel, alias Agbey, 31. The rest are Alhaji Ibrahim and Simon Quao alias Nana Dzakpata. The suspects have been granted police inquiry bail while dockets are being prepared and presented to the Attorney General's (AG) office for advice. Addressing a press conference at the Eastern regional police headquarters on Wednesday, the Eastern regional police commander, DCOP Yaagy Akuriba explained that separate complaints were made by the victims who according to them, were lured into visiting the suspects through adverts on some television and radio stations in the country for money doubling. According to the police commander, the complainants presented huge amount of monies to the suspects who assured them of doubling and multiplying their monies for them; however, they ended up �chopping� their money. The suspects, Togbe Shittor, a Kukurantumi based spiritualist is alleged to have extorted a total of GH� 42,364.00 belonging to seven victims. Okomfo Anokye Ketewa who is based in Koforidua -Okorase is alleged to have defrauded three of his victims of an amount of GH�13,630.00. Ibrahim Alhassan who is based at Okorase near Koforidua has also extorted GH�6,900.00 belonging to his victim and finally, Agbey who is based in Koforidua Zongo has also allegedly defrauded two persons of a sum of GH�23,500.00. The police say they are still investigating similar cases involving two of the suspects, Alhaji Ibrahim at Oyoko and Nana Dzakpata at Akuapem Adawso. DCOP Yaagy Akuriba stated that the police are investigating intelligence gathered on series of accidents involving knocking down of pedestrians at Kukurantumi, Akropong and Akoti which has resulted in the death of some of the victims by vehicles of the suspects, adding that the police intelligence indicates that the suspects deliberately committed the act as part of their blood spilling activities. He said the suspects would be arranged for prosecution or otherwise as soon as the police receive advice from AG's office. The regional police commander appealed to the National Media Commission and Ghana Journalists Association to intensify their regulatory role and sanction media houses that promote acts of fraud by such individuals. He also called on parliament to consider enacting laws that will put such practices to check and advised the public not to patronize the services of the spiritualists since their activities are fake.