Sunyani, (Brong Ahafo) 11 Jan. '99,

The Sunyani Police at the weekend arrested a 48-year-old unemployed for allegedly attempting to buy human blood from a staff of the Sunyani Government Hospital for ritual purposes. The blood was to be used by the suspect, Mr Wilfred Tetteh, to perform a ritual to enhance his chances of securing employment in order to save his marriage. A police source told newsmen at Sunyani today that Mr Tetteh who was an auditor with the Cocoa Marketing Board (CMB) lost his job about three years ago. Quoting from his cautioned statement, the source said Mr Tetteh claimed that as a result of his joblessness, his wife was threatening to divorce him and in his desperation, consulted a Nigerian soothsayer. It said the soothsayer gave him a concoction and asked him to mix it with human blood with which he was supposed to take his bath over a period of time after which he would get a job. The source said unable to get the human blood by any other means, Mr Tetteh approached an anaesthetist at the theatre of the hospital and pleaded with him to sell him (Tetteh) a quantity of human blood. It said Tetteh, in his bid to convince the anaesthetist whose name is being withheld for security reasons, told him the blood was to be used to wash a magic lotto chart for some "sure bankers" to appear for them to stake together. The police source said the anaesthetist who found the request bizarre became suspicious and informed the police who asked him to feign interest. It said Tetteh was arrested at the hospital immediately he took possession of a bottle he was made to believe contained the human blood. The source said he will be arraigned at a court tomorrow, January 12. GRi