Fetish priest allegedly kills Kantamanto trader after failed money-doubling rituals
A fetish priest has been arrested for allegedly killing a secondhand clothes trader, Alice Debrah, at Lente-Wuti near Tokor in the Volta Region after failed money-doubling rituals.
The priest, identified as Agbeko Acumalt, reportedly buried the body in his shrine to hide every piece of evidence.
According to the prosecuting officer, Chief Inspector Margaret Ofori Boadi, the deceased was introduced to the fetish priest by one Bless Fiawofie Kwablatsey, a taxi driver, after she lost her goods to the Kantamanto market fire outbreak in November 2022 and became financially unstable.
Narrating the case, the prosecuting officer said Bless offered to take her to Agbeko, who could perform some rituals to double her money.
Upon visiting Agbeko’s shrine, he and his accomplice, only identified as Selassie, assured the deceased that they could multiply any amount of money she brought to them.
After constant communication between the parties, the deceased transferred about GH¢15,000.00 to Agbeko and his accomplice.
However, the two failed to multiply the amount as promised.
The trader, who became disappointed, angrily demanded a refund of her money and threatened to report to her brother, a soldier, if they did not refund the money.
For fear of being arrested, Agbeko and his accomplice hatched a plot to kill her to cover their tracks completely.
They then lured her to the shrine in March under the pretext of refunding her money after they warned her not to inform anyone.
The two then strangled her to death and buried her in the shrine after she got to Lente-Wuti.
On April 5, investigations led to the arrest of Agbeko, who vehemently denied knowing the whereabouts of the deceased after the family lodged a missing person report.
However, the police discovered the grave in the shrine after intelligence was gathered.
On April 20, the police secured an Exhumation Order from the Agbozume District Court and the body of the deceased was found in a partially decomposed state.
The Police Hospital Pathologist, ACP/Dr. Owusu Afriyie established the cause of death as asphyxiation, strangulation and blood loss from the cubital fossa of the left arm.
The police also arrested Bless, who had initially claimed he did not know the whereabouts of the deceased.
They were charged with conspiracy to murder and murder offences and subsequently arraigned before the Achimota District Court on Monday, May 15.
The court presided over by His Worship Prince Osei Owusu, remanded them to police custody.
They are to reappear before the court on May 29, 2023.
Meanwhile, the police are still on the tail of Selassie, who is on the run.