THREE people have been arrested and remanded in police custody on suspicion of practising sorcery.
Police moved and arrested the suspects, one of whom proclaimed himself to be an “African medium”, after an undercover policeman paid money for the medium to solve his personal problems.
The suspects’ arrest prompted a response from the police chief.
Yesterday, a Nicosia District Court remanded Dutch national Noumouke Bayo, Sotiroula Pavlou and Eleftherios Loizides for four days, with all three suspects under investigation for conspiracy, practising sorcery and covering up a crime.
According to CID Investigator Antonis Eftychiou, police had received information that an apartment in Nicosia was selling sorcery services in exchange for cash.
“On June 20 this year, an undercover police officer, carrying £50 that had also been photocopied, made an appointment to visit the apartment”, said the investigator.
The officer then entered the apartment after the door was opened by Bayo.
Also present in the apartment was Pavlou who acted as an interpreter between Bayo and the undercover policeman.
“The policeman told the first suspect [Bayo] that his fianc?e had left him and that he had lost his job. He then asked the first suspect to help him get his woman back and to help him find a job quickly
“The first suspect informed the policeman that he would help him but it would cost £3,000.”
Bayo then drew the palm of the policeman’s hand on an exercise book and asked him various kinds of details about himself and the woman he wanted back.
He then gave the officer some seashells to hold, telling him to think the thoughts he wants to happen.
“The first suspect informed the officer that he would look into his problem and that he would contact the spirits at midnight and then get back to him,” added the investigator.
When the undercover officer gave Bayo £50, he then revealed his police badge.
Within minutes, police officers entered the apartment with an arrest warrant.
After a search of the apartment, police seized £550 in cash, three cheques amounting to £2,800, three mobile telephones, two notebooks containing phone numbers and addresses and receipts for newspaper ads.
Police also found seashells, rosary beads, wooden bowls and bottles covered with leather.
Investigators believe that both Pavlou and Loizides were helping to bring clients to Bayo with the investigator saying that they had material witnesses to back their suspicions.
Loizides was arrested in the downstairs lobby of Bayo’s apartment building.
The investigator also told the court that a woman had told the court that she had paid £300 for Bayo to solve some personal problems she had and that Loizides would arrange the appointments and act as an interpreter.
Yesterday, Judge Alexia Lycourgou remanded the suspects in police custody for four days despite objections from the defence lawyers of the suspects.
Commenting on the arrest was Police Chief Iacovos Papacostas who warned the public to stay away with such people who aim to “defraud the public”.
“We are talking about a well-established ring of people trying to defraud the public. There was a lot of money discovered in the apartment during the raid, so people have to be aware and stay away from such rings.”
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