• Martha Nana Esi Afful, a susu collector operating under the name “ZOE,” has been arraigned for allegedly misappropriating GH¢156,445 belonging to 35 contributors.

• The accused has pleaded not guilty to 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust after allegedly disappearing when the investments matured in December 2025.

• The Accra Circuit Court granted her GH¢200,000 bail with two sureties and adjourned the case to August 12, 2026, as investigations continue.

A self-styled susu collector has been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly misappropriating GH¢156,445 in savings entrusted to her by 35 contributors under a susu scheme she operated in Accra.

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The accused, Martha Nana Esi Afful, who reportedly operated under the business name “ZOE,” has been charged with 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust after allegedly failing to refund contributions collected from members of the scheme over a three-year period. She has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

According to prosecutors, the complainants,  mostly traders and residents of La in Accra, began contributing to the susu scheme in 2023 after Afful allegedly assured them that their daily savings would be invested for periods ranging from 1- 3 years, with interest paid upon maturity but when the investments matured in December 2025, the contributors were unable to retrieve either their principal or the promised returns after Afful allegedly went into hiding. 

Repeated attempts to contact her reportedly proved unsuccessful, although some contributors continued sending money to a Mobile Money account she had provided.

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The alleged victims later reported the matter to the police on June 14, 2026, leading to investigations and Afful’s arrest at a washing bay in Tse Addo later that month.

During police interrogation, Afful admitted in her caution statement that she had relocated to Swedru in the Central Region following the death of her husband, making it difficult for contributors to reach her after December 2025.

She also reportedly told investigators that she had invested the money in a refuse collection business and requested additional time to repay the affected contributors.

Presiding judge Joseph Y. Kuunsong granted the accused bail in the sum of GH¢200,000 with two sureties, one of whom must be a public servant earning at least GH¢5,000 a month. The case has been adjourned to August 12, 2026, while police continue their investigations.

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As many know it, ‘susu’ is a traditional savings system which still remains an important source of informal financial services for traders, artisans and small business owners who rely on daily contributions for capital and personal savings. 

However, caution should be taken and due diligence conducted before entrusting funds to informal savings collectors.