Fake spiritualist jailed for Three years for GH¢95,100 fraud

A 35-year-old woman who posed as a spiritualist has been sentenced to three years in prison after swindling an unemployed man out of more than GH¢95,000.

Nana Adwoa Yamoah, who operated from Teshie in Accra, pleaded guilty to charges of defrauding by false pretences and practising without registration or a licence.

The Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Dennis Eyram Fumey, handed down the custodial sentence after a pregnancy test requested by the court came back negative.

How the fraud unfolded

The complainant, Douglas Abu, a resident of Ntotroso in the Ashanti Region, was introduced to Yamoah in 2025 by a witness named Grace Fosua.

Yamoah claimed she had direct links with the Asantehene and promised she could secure Abu’s enstoolment as chief of Ntotroso. Relying on these assurances, Abu made multiple payments to her, believing he would be installed as chief by January this year.

Prosecutor Augustine Kingsley Oppong told the court that Yamoah also collected GH¢51,000 from Abu under the pretext of doubling the money – a promise she never fulfilled.

She further persuaded him to fund a trip to Benin for what she described as “spiritual fortification”, but no such exercise took place.

Arrest and investigation

Abu became suspicious and demanded a refund, but Yamoah failed to return any of the money. He reported the matter to police, leading to her arrest on 9 March 2026.

During investigations, Yamoah asked for time to repay the money but did not honour her commitment. Police also discovered that she was not registered with the Traditional Medicine Practice Council and had used similar tactics to defraud other victims.

The court convicted her on her own plea and handed down the three-year sentence.