Returnee who attempted to use daughter for money ritual granted GH¢500k bail

A 47-year-old businessman who allegedly offered his 11-year-old daughter for ritual murder has been granted GH¢500,000 bail.

Evans Kyekyeku Oppong, who was arrested on 3 June 2022, is believed to have returned from abroad and approached a herbalist to perform a blood sacrifice to make him rich.

The suspect is currently facing a provisional charge of preparation to commit murder at the Domestic Violence and Support Center Court in Accra. His plea has been reserved.

In addition to the bail sum, he is to produce two sureties, both to be justified.

The Criminal Division of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Mary Yanzuh, who heard the bail application, also directed that the accused report to the case investigator every Tuesday until the final determination of the case.

Through his legal team led by Ralph Agyepong, the accused moved the bail application at the High Court on Wednesday, 10 August, and it was granted.

Meanwhile, the duplicate case docket of the accused has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s office for advice.

Facts before the court

The brief facts presented in court were that the suspect, Evans Kyekyeku Oppong, aged 47 years is the father of the victim (name withheld), aged 11 years.

The suspect has been living in Holland for many years but relocated to Ghana a year ago.

Sometime in May 2022, the suspect is said to have discussed with a friend known as Kwame that he was facing financial difficulties.

His friend then suggested that the suspect seek spiritual cleansing to turn things around.

According to the prosecution, the said friend later introduced the suspect to one Nana Fosu, popularly known as Nana K.K, to assist him in seeing a spiritualist for help.

On 29 May, Nana Fosu took the suspect to Nana Adu-Boafo Jnr, a spiritualist and a herbal practitioner at Oyibi, for money rituals.

Per the facts, Nana Adu-Boafo Jnr agreed to do the money rituals for the suspect and directed him to buy a python from someone in Kasoa to be used for the money rituals.

But the suspect later informed the spiritualist that he is afraid of snakes and will come for further discussions on what to do.

The prosecution said, “The suspect later had discussions with the spiritualist during which the suspect suggested human sacrifice for the money rituals”.

“The spiritualist feigned interest and told the suspect to furnish him with the date of birth of his last two children to enable him to determine which of them will be suitable for the sacrifice,” as contained in the facts.

On 31 May, the suspect reportedly rang the victim’s mother to confirm the day the victim was born and told her that he would pick up the victim to be taken to a friend who had returned from abroad for measurement so that a dress would be sewn for her.

The suspect then furnished the spiritualist with the date of birth as requested.

However, the spiritualist alerted the Oyibi police about the intended human sacrifice by the suspect. The police urged him to play along with the suspect so he could be arrested when he produced the child at the herbal centre for the said sacrifice.

Per the facts, the spiritualist later informed the suspect that he had spiritually checked on the two children’s birth dates and that the victim would be suitable for the sacrifice.

The spiritualist then instructed the suspect to bring the victim to his herbal centre on 3 June 2022.

The prosecution said in the morning of 3 June 2022, the suspect rang his elder brother to release his car to visit a herbal centre for treatment as a result of a car accident he had recently. Around 8.00 am on the said day, the elder brother released the vehicle to his son to go and drive the suspect to the herbal centre.

They are said to have picked the victim up at Amasaman on their way to the herbal centre.

“At a spot at Oyibi, the suspect asked the driver to wait for him, and he took over the car. The suspect later stopped and bought three ‘Ghana must go’ bags and two bottles of Schnapp.

“The suspect arrived at the herbal centre with the victim, and the spiritualist instructed her to sit in the hall while the suspect was also instructed to change his clothing on the compound and was later given a white calico to tie around his waist.

“The suspect was then given a concoction to bath, and in the course of that, the spiritualist called in the Oyibi police who came and arrested him and rescued the victim,” as narrated in court.