An Accra Circuit Court has remanded two men into police custody over an alleged GH¢800,000 fraud involving a Ghanaian resident in the United States.

Bilyaminu Ibrahim, a media worker, is alleged to have collected the money from the complainant under the pretext of helping to avert spiritual attacks.

Ibrahim and Mohammed Musah, a journalist, have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime, namely defrauding by false pretence, defrauding by false pretence and harbouring a criminal, respectively.

Chief Inspector Ramata Asumah, prosecuting, told the court that Fawuziya Issaka was the complainant and younger sister of the alleged victim, Tourwana Katakarauo, who resides in the United States.

The court heard that in 2021, Katakaraou Jabiru, Ibrahim’s alleged accomplice, learnt that Tourwana was facing challenges in the United States and allegedly planned with Ibrahim to obtain money from her under false pretences.

The prosecution said Jabiru told Fawuziya that he knew a spiritualist who could help resolve the challenges, after which Ibrahim allegedly posed as the spiritualist.

The two allegedly collected GH¢800,000 from Tourwana in instalments, claiming they needed the money for sacrifices and other spiritual activities to avert attacks against her and her mother.

The prosecution said they later told Tourwana that her late father was indebted to an unknown man who planned to haunt her spiritually, prompting further payments purportedly for Quran recitals and other spiritual activities.

The court heard that in 2023, Jabiru learnt that Tourwana’s mother had suffered a stroke and allegedly told Ibrahim that someone was trying to inflict a similar attack.

They allegedly collected additional money to provide spiritual protection and redirect the attack to the “sender”, after which they received further payments as appreciation.

The prosecution said the matter was reported to family elders but could not be resolved, leading to a Police complaint.

During investigations, Ibrahim allegedly admitted posing as a spiritualist, while the Police recovered GH¢49,000 from him.

The prosecution said Jabiru fled to Togo after learning of Ibrahim’s arrest but returned to Dodowa in September 2026, where he stayed with Ibrahim and Musah.

On October 1, Police officers who went to Jabiru’s residence met Musah, who allegedly told them that Jabiru had gone out.

Musah subsequently sent Jabiru a text message stating: “Don’t come to the House.”

The prosecution said Musah admitted in his statement that he sent the message because he did not want Jabiru to be arrested.

Jabiru is currently at large.

Ibrahim and Musah are expected to reappear before the court, presided over by Mr Joseph Kunsong, on October 20, 2026.

Musah has denied the charge of harbouring a criminal.