A woman accused of absconding with GH¢156,445 in susu contributions collected from 35 people has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
The accused, Martha Nana Esi Afful, is facing 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust after allegedly collecting money from traders and residents in La, Accra, under the guise of a susu savings scheme.
Martha, who had previously been remanded, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
On Wednesday, the court, presided over by Mr. Joseph Y. Kuunsong, granted her bail in the sum of GH¢200,000 with two sureties. The court further directed that one of the sureties must be a public servant earning at least GH¢5,000 per month.
She is expected to reappear before the court on August 12, 2026.
According to the prosecution, the complainants are traders and residents of La, while the accused is a susu collector who resides at Burma Camp.
The court heard that Martha operated a business known as “ZOE” and allegedly convinced the complainants to invest in her susu scheme by promising to collect their daily contributions, keep the funds for periods ranging from one to three years, and pay interest on the savings.
The prosecution stated that the complainants joined the scheme in 2023, expecting to receive their savings along with the promised interest after three years.
However, in December 2025, when they attempted to withdraw their money, Martha allegedly went into hiding and reportedly answered calls from only a few of the complainants.
Prosecutors further told the court that the accused continued to provide an MTN Mobile Money number through which some of the complainants allegedly continued making payments before the matter was reported to the authorities.
The case has been adjourned to August 12, 2026, for further proceedings.
