Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 24 May 2007

Source: GNA

Magician remanded for 15 million cedis fraud

Juaso (Ash), May 24, GNA- A circuit court at Juaso remanded Kwaku Duah Agyemang, a 32-year-old magician, for defrauding Charles Wereko of 15 million cedis, under the pretext of multiplying the amount to 47 million cedis.

Agyemang pleaded guilty to the charge but sentence was deferred to July 1.

Police Detective Inspector Mike Fritz Bekoe told the court presided over by Mr Jacob Boon that the complainant, a labourer and the accused were both residents of Agogo.

The prosecutor said on April 10, this year, the father of the complainant gave him 15 million cedis and left for Accra. According to Inspector Bekoe, in the evening of the same day the complainant who was in the company of his friends went to a spot where they saw Agyemang displaying magical powers.

The prosecutor said the complainant later approached the accused to multiply 15 million cedis to 47 million cedis, which the accused obliged.

The complainant gave out 500,000 cedis for a start but later added 14.5 million cedis after he was convinced by the magician of his magical powers.

The prosecution said the accused gave the complainant a black polythene bag containing pieces of papers cut to the size of cedi notes and asked him to bury it close and cautioned him not to remove it until April 17.

The complainant adhered to the directives and removed the buried polythene bag on the said day only to find pieces of papers that looked like 10,000 cedis. Inspector Bekoe said when the complainant together with some friends rushed to the house of the accused but did not meet him, they took away his wife. The accused went to the police to lodge complaint when he returned home later to realize that his wife was not in the house but he was instead arrested.