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Sorcery!
Apparently, sorcery is still a crime here. Wonder whether he'll be burnt at the stake!
Maybe the judge has been reading too much Harry Potter
Maybe the judge has been reading too much Harry Potter
Judge orders man to stand trial for sorcery
By John Leonidou
A GUINEAN man was yesterday charged with seven counts of sorcery after he was arrested in a sting operation last week.
Medium Toura Gassama, 52, yesterday pleaded guilty to the first charge of attempting use sorcery, in exchange for a fee, for an undercover police officer but pleaded not guilty to the remaining six charges against him because he claimed he could not remember the other people police say that he scammed.
In the last few months, witch-hunting police around the island have been busting operations where ‘mediums’ and ‘witch doctors’ have been practicing claiming that they are cons and locals are paying thousands and thousands of pounds to get their fortunes read.
According to investigators, Gassama, who also holds a Dutch and Senegalese passport, had in the past charged several people from Nicosia £50 to read their fortunes.
Most of his clients were men and women wanting their partners, who had recently left them, to come back.
According to some of the charges, Gassama had demanded thousands of pounds from his punters so that he could use his powers of magic to make their problems go away.
On August 7, a female undercover police officer went to the apartment he was staying at and told him that she wanted him to use his magic because she was having problems at home with her husband.
He agreed and told her to write down her details such as her phone number, name and address on a notebook.
Gassama then used another notebook and began scribbling lines.
He then told her to write her husband’s details in yet another notebook before telling her that her husband was having affairs with other women.
He then informed her that his fee was £50.
After paying him, the officer revealed her ID badge and informed him that he was under arrest.
Yesterday, the apologetic Gassama told Judge Alexandros Panayiotou, “I am sorry for what I did. I didn’t know that it was wrong here. Please, pity me because I have childrenâ€.
Judge Panayiotou ordered Gassama to remain in police custody until his trial begins on August 20.
By John Leonidou
A GUINEAN man was yesterday charged with seven counts of sorcery after he was arrested in a sting operation last week.
Medium Toura Gassama, 52, yesterday pleaded guilty to the first charge of attempting use sorcery, in exchange for a fee, for an undercover police officer but pleaded not guilty to the remaining six charges against him because he claimed he could not remember the other people police say that he scammed.
In the last few months, witch-hunting police around the island have been busting operations where ‘mediums’ and ‘witch doctors’ have been practicing claiming that they are cons and locals are paying thousands and thousands of pounds to get their fortunes read.
According to investigators, Gassama, who also holds a Dutch and Senegalese passport, had in the past charged several people from Nicosia £50 to read their fortunes.
Most of his clients were men and women wanting their partners, who had recently left them, to come back.
According to some of the charges, Gassama had demanded thousands of pounds from his punters so that he could use his powers of magic to make their problems go away.
On August 7, a female undercover police officer went to the apartment he was staying at and told him that she wanted him to use his magic because she was having problems at home with her husband.
He agreed and told her to write down her details such as her phone number, name and address on a notebook.
Gassama then used another notebook and began scribbling lines.
He then told her to write her husband’s details in yet another notebook before telling her that her husband was having affairs with other women.
He then informed her that his fee was £50.
After paying him, the officer revealed her ID badge and informed him that he was under arrest.
Yesterday, the apologetic Gassama told Judge Alexandros Panayiotou, “I am sorry for what I did. I didn’t know that it was wrong here. Please, pity me because I have childrenâ€.
Judge Panayiotou ordered Gassama to remain in police custody until his trial begins on August 20.
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