The Adabraka District Court in Accra has remanded a 25-year-old fetish priest and herbalist, Michael Xorlali Alortusah, into custody for allegedly murdering a trader, Joyce Akua Ampomaa.
The court, presided over by Her Worship N. A. Owusu Omenyo, ordered the remand after the prosecution, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmanuel Nyamekye, prayed the court to allow the police more time to complete investigations into the case.
The accused was remanded on March 13, 2026, and is expected to reappear before the court on March 25, 2026, for appropriate charges to be formally preferred against him and for possible commencement of committal proceedings.
Alortusah is facing a provisional charge of murder, contrary to Section 46 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Presenting the brief facts, the prosecution said the suspect is a fetish priest and herbalist who operates at Awutu Bentum near Jei Krodua, while the deceased, Joyce Akua Ampomaa, aged 40, was a trader who lived at Akweley, a suburb of Kasoa.
According to the prosecution, sometime in 2025 the deceased developed a problem with her leg and visited the suspect for herbal treatment.
On March 4, 2026, she again visited him at his shrine, seeking spiritual assistance to protect her business.
After the consultation at about 7:00 p.m., the suspect allegedly instructed the deceased to accompany him to his farm on the outskirts of the town to pluck herbs for a ritual.
The prosecution said that while they were in the bush near the farm, the suspect, who was armed with a sharp cutlass, allegedly attacked the deceased from behind, severed her head and killed her instantly.
He allegedly went on to cut off the deceased’s two legs, concealed the decapitated body in the bush under fresh leaves, and carried away the severed body parts wrapped in the deceased’s dress.
On March 10, 2026, some residents reportedly discovered the body near the suspect’s farm and reported the matter to the Jei Krodua Police Station.
Police officers who visited the scene retrieved the decapitated body and conveyed it to the Police Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
Investigations later led to the arrest of the suspect, who allegedly admitted the offence during interrogation.
The prosecution told the court that investigations are still ongoing and efforts are being made to retrieve the missing body parts.The court consequently remanded the accused into custody to assist with investigations.
