Spiritualist Convicted for Defrauding Man of Over GH¢95,000 for Chieftaincy Title
An Accra Circuit Court has handed down a conviction to a 35-year-old spiritualist, Nana Adwoa Yamoah, who was found guilty of defrauding a man of a substantial sum, GH¢95,100.00, by falsely promising to secure him a chieftaincy title. The court also found Yamoah guilty of operating without the necessary registration and practising without a licence, offences under the relevant Ghanaian laws.
Yamoah entered a guilty plea to all charges levelled against her. Presiding Judge, Mr. Dennis Eyram Fumey, accepted her plea and proceeded with the conviction. However, before a final sentence could be pronounced, the judge ordered that a pregnancy test be conducted on the convict. This directive underscores the court’s commitment to considering all relevant factors before imposing a penalty.
Assistant Superintendent of Police, Augustine Kingsley Oppong, requested a two-day period to arrange for the pregnancy test, citing current workload challenges. Consequently, the sentencing was deferred to March 26, 2026. In the interim, Yamoah was remanded into police custody.
The case unfolded as detailed by the prosecution, with the complainant, Mr. Douglas Abu, an unemployed resident of Ntotroso, being introduced to Yamoah in 2025. The introduction was facilitated by a witness, Grace Fosua, who presented Yamoah as a spiritualist with the ability to influence significant matters.
According to ASP Oppong, Yamoah engaged Mr. Abu by claiming a history of successfully assisting others in attaining chieftaincy positions. She then specifically promised to aid him in securing the chieftaincy of Ntotroso. To bolster her credibility and influence, Yamoah allegedly boasted of her connections to the Asantehene, the paramount chief of the Ashanti Kingdom. She assured Mr. Abu that, despite the presence of an existing contender for the title, he would be officially enstooled by January of the following year.
Driven by these assurances, Mr. Abu made a series of payments to Yamoah, totalling GH¢95,100.00. These funds were ostensibly for various spiritual consultations, rituals, and other expenses related to the chieftaincy bid.
The prosecution further revealed that Yamoah’s fraudulent activities extended beyond the chieftaincy promise. She also obtained GH¢51,000.00 from Mr. Abu under the guise of doubling his money through spiritual means. This promised financial windfall, however, never materialised.
In a further act of deception, Yamoah persuaded Mr. Abu to accompany her to the Republic of Benin for spiritual fortification. This trip was undertaken at Mr. Abu’s own expense. Upon arrival in Benin, however, no spiritual rituals or interventions were performed as promised.
Upon their return to Ghana, Mr. Abu began to harbour suspicions about Yamoah’s conduct and the lack of tangible progress in his chieftaincy aspirations. He subsequently demanded a refund of the monies he had paid. Yamoah’s failure to return any portion of the funds led Mr. Abu to file a report with the Ghana Police Service.
Yamoah was apprehended on March 9, 2026. During the initial stages of the police investigation, she reportedly pleaded for an extended period to repay the defrauded amount, a commitment she ultimately failed to honour.
Subsequent inquiries uncovered a pattern of alleged fraudulent behaviour. Further investigations revealed that Yamoah had not registered her spiritualist practice with the Traditional Medicine Practice Council, a regulatory body in Ghana. This indicated a disregard for legal and professional standards. Moreover, there were allegations that she had employed similar deceptive tactics to defraud other individuals.
Following the completion of the investigation and the gathering of evidence, Nana Adwoa Yamoah was formally arraigned before the Accra Circuit Court. Her guilty plea to all charges led to her conviction, paving the way for the sentencing process, which is now awaiting the court’s final decision after the mandatory pregnancy test.
