A thirty-seven-year-old unemployed man Kwesi Nyarko, has been remanded in Prison custody by a Sekondi Community Tribunal for swindling two people.

He pleaded not guilty and would reappear on October 5. Prosecuting police Sergeant Andam Okyere told the tribunal chaired by Mr Eric Baah that the complainants Amos Noble Tawiah, a photographer lives at Daboase while Osumanu Ibrahim, a trader lives at Bawku. He said on June 2, Osumanu met Nyarko and an accomplice, who is on the run, while selling smocks in Takoradi. Sgt. Okyere said the Nyarko said he wanted to buy one of the smocks but told Osumanu that he had no money on him.

He said Nyarko gave Osumanu some shiny stones and asked him to provide cola nuts to enable him to perform certain rituals to turn the stones into gold. Sgt. Okyere said Nyarko asked Osumanu to leave his nine smocks estimated at 275,000 cedis in his care while he went to buy the cola from a woman, warning that those sold by men were not good for the rituals.

When Osumanu returned with the cola, he could not find the accused and his accomplice and, therefore, reported the matter to the Police.

On June 5, Osumanu met the accused at the Takoradi Market Circle and he raised the alarm and Nyarko was arrested by the people and sent to the police station. At the police station, Tawiah, the second complainant, identified him, as the one who used the same trick to collect his camera valued at 900,000 cedis, a bag and 200,000 cedis from him.

The prosecution said the accused was granted police enquiry bail to appear in court on July 31, but he failed, necessitating the issuance of a bench warrant for his arrest. He was arrested when he was sent to the same Police station for another offence, the prosecutor added.