Martha Nana Esi Afful Granted GH₵200,000 Bail Over Alleged GH₵156,445 Susu Fraud Against Accra Traders

Martha Nana Esi Afful, a self-styled susu collector, has been granted bail in the sum of GH₵200,000 by an Accra Circuit Court following allegations of misappropriating GH₵156,445 belonging to 35 traders. Afful pleaded not guilty to 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust when she appeared before the court. The presiding judge set stringent bail conditions, requiring two sureties, one of whom must be a public servant earning a minimum monthly salary of GH₵5,000. The case has drawn significant attention due to the scale of the alleged breach of trust involving the savings of local market operators.

The prosecution alleges that Afful operated a susu scheme under the business name "ZOE," where she collected daily and weekly contributions from traders in Accra with the promise of returning their savings upon request. According to court records, trouble began in December 2025 when the 35 complainants attempted to withdraw their accumulated funds. The traders discovered that Afful had become unreachable and could no longer be found at her usual places of operation. This led to a formal police complaint being lodged on June 14, 2026, which eventually resulted in her arrest and the current legal proceedings.

During the initial investigation and court appearance, it emerged that Afful admitted to receiving the funds but claimed to have invested the money into a separate business venture after relocating. She reportedly explained to investigators that her relocation was prompted by the death of her husband, an event she claims disrupted her operations. However, the prosecution maintains that she failed to honor the terms of the trust by failing to provide the promised returns or the principal savings when they were demanded by the contributors.

This case highlights the persistent risks within Ghana's informal financial sector, where many small-scale traders rely on susu schemes for their financial security. The court has adjourned the matter to August 12, 2026, while police continue their investigations into the movement of the funds. For now, the accused remains on bail, and the affected traders await a legal determination on the recovery of their life savings. The outcome of the trial is expected to serve as a significant indicator of how the judicial system handles fraudulent activities within unregulated financial schemes.