News
Commercial sex worker jailed for swindling mechanic
The commercial sex worker who swindled an Aflao-based mechanic after spending the night with him in a hotel in Accra, has been sentenced to six months in prison by an Accra Circuit Court.
The 22-year-old convict, Ms. Juliet FosuaAkos charged the victim, Mr Godwin Babate who had travelled from Aflao in the Volta Region to the national capital, Accra, to buy some spare parts at AbosseyOkai GH¢50.00 to spend the night with him at the Grand View Hotel, Kantamanto, on January 16, 2020, but ended up stealing all his foreign currency about CFA 2 million (GH¢23,500.00) and a mobile phone worth GH¢1,000.00.
Though she pleaded not guilty to the offence of stealing and was granted GH¢50,000.00 bail with two sureties who should be public servants and earning not less than GH¢1,500.00 a month, the Accra Circuit Court “One” presided by Madam Susana Eduful, however, found her guilty after a full trial and convicted her accordingly.
The prosecutor, Inspector Samuel Ahiabor pleaded with the court to release the GH¢200.00 cash, a silver chain, a gas cylinder and the mobile phone the police retrieved from the convict, to the victim.
MsFosua had earlier told the Railway Police who effected her arrest that she used part of the booty to buy the items and gave the breakdown as follows: That she bought the silver chain at GH¢460.00, a dress at GH¢100.00 and gave GH¢300.00 to her mother but failed to disclose where the rest of the money was.
According to the prosecutor, the victim is still roaming the streets of Accra homeless for the fear that those car owners who gave him the money to come to Accra and buy the spare parts to fix their vehicles, would not spare his life, if he returns to Aflao to give “a situationalreport”on the loss of their money.
The facts are that Mr. Godwin Babate came down to Accra on January 15, 2020 to buy some car parts and decided to engage a prostitute who he could spend the night with so he went to Okaishie in Accra and saw the convict.
Inspector Ahiabor said that in the course of bargaining, Juliet FosuaAkos charged the complainant (Mr. Babate) GH¢50.00 for the night and both of them went to a hotel to sleep.
He said that after the two persons had enjoyed themselves sexually, the victim dozed off so the convict saw it as an opportunity to steal CFA 2,005,000 (GH¢23,500.00) from a wardrobe and an Infinix mobile phone valued at GH¢1,000.00 and sneaked out of the hotel room.
The prosecutor said that when the mechanic woke up the following day at about 4:00am and detected the theft of his cash and mobile phone, he suspected no other person than the commercial sex worker who he enjoyed with at night.
According to Inspector Ahiabor the victim reported the matter to the hotel manager and he (hotel manager) accompanied him to the Railway Police Station to lodge an official complaint leading to the arrest of Ms. Juliet FosuaAkos in her hideout in Accra through the help of another person.
He said that the convict admitted the commission of the offence in her caution statement.
The police retrieved the item which included a silver chain, a gas cylinder, and amobile phone and an amount of GH¢200.00 cash from her.
By Castro Zangina- Tong
A woman who is accused of bolting with ‘susu’ money totaling GH₵156,445 has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Martha Nana Esi Afful was alleged to have collected the money from 35 complainants.
Charged with 35 counts of fraudulent breach of trust, Martha, who was earlier remanded, pleaded not guilty.
The court, presided over by Mr Joseph Y. Kuunsong on Wednesday, admitted the accused person to a GH₵200,000 bail with two sureties.
One of the sureties, the court said, must be a public servant earning not less than GH₵5,000.
She is expected to reappear on August 12, 2026.
The Prosecution’s case before the court is that the complainants are traders and residents at La in Accra.
Prosecution described Martha as a ‘Susu’ collector, who resided at Burma Camp.
The court heard that the accused person run a business with the name ‘ZOE’ and she deceived the 35 complainants into believing that she collected ‘Susu’ daily, which was kept for a period of one-three years, and paid interest on the money invested.
The complainants contributed in 2023 for a three-year period, prosecution said.
In December 2025, when the complainants went to take their money with interest, Martha went into hiding and only took phone calls from a few complainants.
Prosecution said the accused provided a MTN Momo number through which a few of the complainants still paid monies.
It said all efforts made to collect the money, totaling GH₵156,445 from her, proved futile.
On June 14, 2026, a report was made to the police and Martha was picked up at a washing bay at Tse Addo.
During interrogation, she admitted the offence in her caution statement, saying she lost her husband and relocated to Swedru in the Central Region, hence the complainants were unable to reach her from December 2025 till date.
Prosecution said Martha further stated that she had invested the monies into refuse collection business and she needed time to pay the amount.
Police are investigating the claims. –GNA
A Public Health Nurse at the Roman Ridge Sub-Municipal of the Ayawaso West Health Directorate, Ms Patience Adoli Kporxah, has cautioned the public against coming into contact with floodwaters, warning that exposure can lead to serious diseases, infections and injuries.
Floodwater, she said, should always be treated as contaminated, regardless of how clean it appears, because it may contain sewage, human and animal waste, chemicals, fuel, sharp objects and disease-causing micro-organisms.
In an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Thursday, Ms Kporxah explained that contact with contaminated floodwater exposes people to bacteria, viruses, parasites, hazardous chemicals and other physical hazards that can result in illness or injury.
Her advice came in the wake of recent exposure to floodwater following Monday’s torrential rains that left vast areas of the capital flooded.
As a result, a lot of people were seen either ‘swimming’ in the floodwater to rescue people or retrieving items being washed away.
According to her, exposure to floodwater could cause skin infections, particularly where there are cuts or open wounds, as well as diarrhoea diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and other forms of gastroenteritis if contaminated water was swallowed.
Other health risks, she said include hepatitis A, eye and ear infections, tetanus in people with untreated wounds or incomplete vaccination, and injuries from submerged sharp objects, debris or electrical hazards.
Ms Kporxah advised anyone who had contact with floodwater to monitor their health closely and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, severe headache, muscle aches, skin rash, difficulty breathing, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.
She also urged people whose wounds became red, swollen, painful or begin to discharge pus, as well as those who accidentally swallow floodwater, to report to the nearest health facility without delay.
Although not everyone exposed to floodwater requires immediate treatment, she stressed that pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, individuals living with chronic illnesses and those with significant wounds should seek prompt medical evaluation.
On water safety, Ms Kporxah cautioned that rainwater was not automatically safe for drinking or cooking, especially during or after flooding. She explained that rainwater collected from roofs, gutters or open containers could be contaminated by bird and animal droppings, dust, leaves, bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical pollutants.
She advised that rainwater intended for drinking should first be treated by boiling, chlorination or another approved water purification method before use.
Touching on food safety, Ms Kporxah said factory-sealed bottled drinks and canned foods with intact packaging might still be safe after flooding.
However, she stressed that any containers submerged in floodwater should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before handling. Foods in paper packaging, damaged containers or products with broken seals should be discarded because contaminated water may have seeped into them.
She further warned that flooding increases the risk of outbreaks of cholera, typhoid fever and other waterborne diseases through contaminated water sources.
In addition, she said flooding could contribute to respiratory illnesses in overcrowded shelters and mould-infested buildings, foodborne illnesses from spoiled or contaminated food, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression and trauma.
It could also disrupt access to medicines and healthcare for people living with chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, asthma and kidney disease.
Ms Kporxah therefore urged the public to practice good hygiene, avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater, consume only safe food and drinking water, and seek medical attention promptly whenever symptoms develop.
She said observing these preventive measures would help minimise the risk of disease outbreaks and protect lives as the country continues to experience heavy rains and flooding in some communities.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
