Two ‘fake’ prophets have been arrested by police in Accra after they ran a magnificent scam which fetched them close to Ghc 300,000 in cash from their victims plus many other items in property.
The two, identified as Joseph Braimah, 22, and Derick Kweku Sakyi Baisie, 31 (alias Kweku Money) – run an elaborate ruse which targeted the fears of well to do traders and exploited it to make cash.
According to GraphicOnline, reports received by the police indicate so far, they have duped five victims out of a total Ghc 298,000 in cash – plus an Apple mobile phone, a KIA Optima and a Mercedes C Class saloon car, an Infinix mobile phone, among others.
After the victims reported the issue to police, the pair were arrested, one in Accra and the other at the shrine of a fetish priest in Akyem Abirem.
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The Public Relations Officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mrs Afia Tenge, briefed the Daily Graphic on the modus operandi of the ‘prophets’.
Mrs Tenge said one of the victims, a trader at Tudu in Accra, told the police that about six months ago she was approached by Braimah, who had been preaching for some time near her shop.
During the encounter, Mrs Tenge said, Braimah requested for the mobile phone contact of the trader and the names of her children, which he claimed he would include in his prayer list. He also promised to assist her with prayers and prophetic direction.
After a few days, she said Braimah connived with Baisie to extort money from the trader.
Mrs Tenge said Baisie dressed as a pastor and visited the trader’s shop under the guise of buying some of her goods in a bid to establish contact with her.
While in the shop, Baisie is said to have made shocking spiritual revelations about his victim, which unknown to her were based on information provided by Braimah.
Subsequently, Baisie advised that a special prayer must be offered for the victim.
He is also said to have claimed that it had been revealed to him that a young pastor had been visiting the trader and that he was a true man of God who could help her to overcome her spiritual challenges.
Prophecies
Baisie later managed to convince the trader to accommodate Braimah in her house to offer intense prayers at all times.
Mrs Tenge said police investigations showed that while in the trader’s house, Braimah gave more information on the trader and her family to Baisie, who called the trader regularly to claim he had seen those things in revelations.
At a point, she said, the fake prophets gave false prophecies of foreseen accidents which would result in the death of the trader and her family members.
They also claimed a sister of the trader suffering from stroke could be healed, while the infertility problem of another could be overturned with prayers.
After arresting the two suspects, Mrs Tenge said, the police retrieved a list with more than 400 names believed to be victims of the fake prophets.
She said the police had since retrieved the KIA Optima, while the suspects could not produce the money they had allegedly collected from the victims, as they claimed they had given a greater part of it to Nana Boame, the fetish priest.