The Mbour High Court has delivered its verdict in an unusual case of quackery. N. Williams was found guilty and sentenced to two months in prison and fined 10,000 CFA francs. This decision followed a complaint filed by A. Lamine, a local shopkeeper, who accused him of using mystical methods to steal money from his customers.

The alleged offenses stem from a visit by the defendant to A. Lamine's shop. According to the plaintiff's testimony, N. Williams gave the shop assistant a 10,000 FCFA note for the purchase of a pot of coffee. Through a sleight of hand described as quackery, he allegedly managed to leave with the merchandise, the change, and the original 10,000 FCFA note.

The shop owner testified in court that he had formally identified the defendant using security camera footage. A year after the incident, during the man's return visit to his shop, the shopkeeper immediately recognized him and confronted him with the video recordings. According to the victim, the man initially admitted his involvement before changing his story in court.

At the summary trial, N. Williams attempted to deny the charges, claiming he had only made routine purchases, some of which he had even cancelled due to excessive prices. However, this line of defense clashed with statements he had made during the preliminary investigation. The judge reminded the defendant that he had admitted to investigators that he had the 10,000 FCFA note in his pocket at the time of his arrest, a major contradiction that weakened his case.

While the plaintiff sought only the return of his money, the prosecutor demanded a strict application of the law. Following this line of reasoning, the court ruled in favor of a prison sentence, thus demonstrating the justice system's determination to punish these deceptive practices that harm local businesses.