Businessman who attempted to use daughter for money ritual remanded

The District Court in Accra (Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit) has remanded Evans Kyekyeku Oppong, the businessman arrested for using his daughter for money ritual, into police custody.

Oppong, a machine operator, 47, was arrested on June 3 after he was exposed by the spiritualist he visited to kill his 11-year-old daughter.

The court, presided over by Her Worship Ama Adomako Kwakye remanded him after the prosecution had prayed for him to be remanded.

EIB Court Correspondent Murtala Inusah reports that the accused is on a charge of preparation to commit crime to wit; Murder, and his plea has been reserved.

Chief Inspector Richard Amoah, the prosecutor, told the court that the Police are yet to conduct an extensive investigation into the matter.

He contended that the accused was arrested on June 3, and due to the weekend, a full investigation commenced today.

Lawyer Ralph Agyepong, who represented the suspect, though, did not oppose the request to have him remanded; he prayed for him to be allowed access to have a conference with him.

Her Worship Ama Adomako Kwakye remanded him into police custody and directed the Police to allow counsel access to him on Tuesday and Thursdays between 9am and 5pm.

The case has been adjourned to June 20, 2022.

Brief facts

The brief facts of the case presented to the Court by Chief Inspector Amoah were that the Suspect, Evans Kyekyeku Oppong, aged 47 years, is the father of the victim (name withheld), aged 11 years.

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

The prosecutor told the court that, in May 2022, the suspect discussed with a friend known as Kwame that he was facing financial difficulties.

Chief Inspector Amoah told the court that the friend suggested that the suspect would need spiritual cleansing to turn things around for him.

He added that the friend later introduced the suspect to one Nana Fosu alias Nana K. K to assist him in seeing a Spiritualist for help.

He said on May 29, Nana Fosu took the suspect to Nana Adu-Boafo Jnr, who is a Spiritualist and a Herbal Practitioner at Oyibi, for money rituals.

Chief Inspector Amoah said Nana Adu-Boafo Jnr agreed to do the money rituals for the suspect and directed him to buy a live python from someone in Kasoa to be used for the money rituals.

“However, the suspect later informed the spiritualist that he is afraid of snakes; as such, he will come to him for further discussions on what to do.

“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 births of his last two (2) children to enable him to determine which of them will be suitable for the sacrifice,” Chief Inspector Amoah told the court.

Call to Police

The prosecutor said, on May 31, the suspect 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 will be sewn for her.

“The suspect furnished the spiritualist with the date of birth as requested. The spiritualist then alerted the Oyibi Police about the intended human sacrifice by the suspect, and 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,” he told the court.

He added that the spiritualist later informed the suspect that he had spiritually checked on the date of birth of the two children and that the victim would be suitable for the sacrifice.

He said the spiritualist instructed the suspect to bring the victim to his Herbal Centre on June 3, 2022.

“In the morning of June 3, 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.

He said that morning, around 8.00 am, the elder brother released the vehicle to his son to go and pick up the suspect to the herbal Centre and on their way to the said Herbal Centre, they picked up the victim at Amasaman.

Ghana must go bag

“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 schnapps.

“The suspect arrived at the Herbal Centre with the victim, and she was instructed by the spiritualist to sit in the Hall whilst 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.

The investigation is ongoing”, the prosecutor told the court.