'Money-doubling' fetish priest sentenced to three months in jail
The Accra Circuit Court today sentenced a traditional priest who failed to turn GH¢8,000 belonging to a trader into GH¢80,000 as promised to three months imprisonment with hard labour.
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The traditional priest, Benjamin Doe, was also slapped with a fine of GH¢3,600 or is in default expected to serve an additional 2 years after being convicted on the charge of defrauding by false pretence by the court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh.
The self - acclaimed money doubler paid an amount of GH¢8,500 to offset the total amount of GH¢10,300 that he took from the victim to perform the act.
The court, however, held that although Doe had paid part of the money, it had to give him a sentence that would send a warning to so-called spiritualists who dupe people in society.
The facts of the case, as presented by the prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police Mrs Adiza Suleman, were that the victim was a trader residing in Prestea in the Western Region, while Doe claims to be a fetish priest resident at Adjen Kotoku near Accra.
She said, last February, the victim saw an advertisement by Doe on a local television channel in which he (Doe) claimed to have the powers to help businesses flourish.
The victim, the prosecutor said, called the number provided in the advertisement and Doe directed him to his house at Adjen Kotoku.
The victim, after listening to Doe, expressed interest in having his money doubled. Doe then demanded GH¢8,000 to turn into GH¢80,000," she said.
ASP Suleman added that Doe later took another GH¢13,540 from the victim to buy some items “to pacify the gods’’.
“Doe failed to honour his promise and all efforts to retrieve the money proved futile. The victim reported the matter to the police and Doe was arrested on April 10, 2015."