A Cape Coast Circuit Court has sentenced Jibril Yahaya, 27, to five years imprisonment in hard labour for posing as a mallam and defrauding a woman of ¢9,421.

The court presided over by Mrs Dorinda Smith Arthur, gave her verdict after Yahaya pleaded guilty and admitted engaging in fraud by false pretences.

Juliet Ankrah, the complainant, is a resident of Amamoma while the convict resided at Mpeasem, both in suburban Cape Coast.

Prosecuting, Inspector Yakubu Iddrisu, said in August 2020, Mrs Ankrah heard the convict on a radio station claiming he could perform rituals that could double the money.

The complainant showed interest and contacted Yahaya on his mobile numbers given at the station.

She told the convict that she needed ¢250,000 to complete her building project and paid ¢9,421 through Mobile Money to him.

The prosecutor said Yahaya failed to honour his promise after receiving the money, forcing the complainant to report the matter to the Regional Criminal Investigations Department.

Yahaya was traced based on his mobile number and arrested on Thursday, February 18, 2021, but a relative refunded ¢2,000 of the amount, and he was granted a police inquiry bail the next day.

Inspector Iddrisu said he jumped bail, went into hiding in Takoradi and was rearrested on Saturday, December 25, 2021, through police intelligence.