Asamankese, Aug. 27, GNA - A farmer, Kofi Twumasi, 56, who allegedly posed as a spiritualist and used tricks to steal four half-pieces of wax print valued at one million cedis has been granted a 10 million-cedi bail with a surety by the Asamankese Circuit Court. Twumasi pleaded not guilty and would re-appear in court on September 15.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Alhassan Amadu told the Court, presided over by Mr Kofi Akrowiah, that the accused, who lived at Sankore in the Brong Ahafo Region, met the complainant, Gifty Duah, at about 2000 hours on June 28, this year, at Asamankese. He said in their conversation, Twumasi told Gifty that her mother had given cloths to her mistress to sew and that her mother had been bewitched and summoned to the gods so that anytime her mistress would cut the cloth for her to sew, she would either suffer from stroke or die.

Chief Inspector Amadu said Gifty became convinced because her mother, Madam Elizabeth Korkor, had really given two half pieces of cloth to her mistress to sew.

He said Twumasi further advised Gifty to bring out all the cloths which were sent by her mother to the mistress for him to pray over them and also perform certain rituals so as to expel the evil spirits. According to Chief Inspector Amadu, Gifty brought four half pieces of cloth as requested by Twumasi and he asked her to close her eyes for the prayers and rituals.

He said while praying, Gifty who was no longer hearing the voice of Twumasi opened her eyes and to her dismay, the 'spiritualist' was no where to be found with the four-half-pieces cloth. Chief Inspector Amadu said she informed her mistress about the incident but all efforts to trace Twumasi immediately proved futile until July 24, when the accused surfaced in Asamankese and was identified by Gifty and was arrested.