Accra, Ghana – A new BBC documentary has cast fresh doubt on the 2015 death of Scottish national Charmain Speirs, who was found dead in a hotel bathroom in Ghana just months after marrying Ghanaian prophet Eric Adusah, prompting renewed calls from her family for a full investigation.

Speirs, aged 41 at the time, died under circumstances that have long troubled her relatives.

The BBC report, aired recently, uncovers serious allegations against Adusah, including claims that he used multiple identities.

In Ghana, he is known as Eric Adu Brefo, while in the United States (Maryland), he reportedly goes by Eric Isaiah Kusi Boateng.

Former partners have also alleged he used different names and ages across relationships.

Charmain’s 19-year-old son, Isaac, told the documentary that Adusah was physically and psychologically abusive toward both him and his mother.

He claimed Adusah once punched his mother in the face and exerted extreme control over her life, including her phone, money, clothes, and eating habits. Charmain’s mother, Linda, said she noticed bald patches on her daughter’s scalp, which Charmain attributed to Adusah pulling her hair.

The documentary also raised questions about an alibi Adusah reportedly gave police, claiming he left the hotel during the night to meet a reverend in Accra at 6 am — an account the reverend allegedly did not confirm.

Charmain Speirs’ family has called for justice and urged Ghanaian authorities to reopen the case in light of the new evidence and allegations presented in the BBC investigation.

New York / Accra – March 5, 2026 – A 40-year-old Ghanaian man, Derrick Van Yeboah (also known as “Van”), has pleaded guilty in federal court in Manhattan to his role in an international criminal enterprise that defrauded victims across the United States of more than $100 million through romance scams and business email compromise schemes.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton announced the plea on March 5, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.

Yeboah admitted to conspiring to commit wire fraud, personally responsible for stealing over $10 million by impersonating romantic partners online and convincing vulnerable victims—many elderly men and women—to send money or assist in laundering funds.

According to court documents, Yeboah was part of a Ghana-based criminal network that created fake online personas to build trust with victims, often on dating websites. Once trust was established, victims were deceived into wiring money or helping transfer proceeds from other frauds. The stolen funds were laundered back to West Africa, with Yeboah’s share exceeding $10 million.

“This defendant cruelly exploited the vulnerabilities of people searching for companionship online,” Clayton said. “Many New Yorkers and Americans look for love online, and no one deserves to have that met with fraud and theft. Today’s plea is a reminder: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Yeboah faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. He has agreed to pay restitution and forfeit $10,149,429.17.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 3, 2026.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from Ghanaian authorities and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs. Prosecutors from the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit—Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Mitzi Steiner—are handling the matter.

Romance scams and business email compromise remain major threats globally, with the FBI reporting billions lost annually to similar schemes. U.S. officials continue to urge the public to verify identities online, avoid sending money to strangers, and report suspicious activity immediately.

LOS ANGELES — A scientist of Ghanaian heritage at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has developed a groundbreaking zinc-oxide sunscreen formula designed to protect darker skin tones without leaving the chalky white residue that has long discouraged use.

AJ Addae, a chemical biology researcher and cosmetic entrepreneur, says her innovation addresses both a scientific and public-health gap — improving sun protection accessibility while helping reduce skin cancer risks among people with deeper complexions.

Solving a Long-Standing Problem

Zinc oxide sunscreens are widely considered effective and safe, but their visible white cast has historically made them unpopular among people with darker skin tones.

“They leave this white cast on my skin, and it deters me from wanting to use sunscreens,” Addae said, explaining what first motivated her research.

Public health experts explain that this cosmetic drawback has had real consequences. When people avoid sunscreen due to appearance concerns, they face greater exposure to harmful ultraviolet radiation and increased skin cancer risk.

“The best sunscreen is one that you’ll actually wear,” Addae said. “That’s really where my motivation came from.”

A Scientific Breakthrough

Working alongside UCLA researchers and international collaborators, Addae investigated why traditional zinc oxide formulas appear white.

Scientists determined that conventional sunscreens contain round zinc oxide particles that clump together, scattering visible light and creating the chalky effect.

The team instead developed a novel “tetrapod” shape — zinc oxide particles with tiny leg-like extensions that prevent clumping and allow smoother, more even dispersion on skin.

Research published through the American Chemical Society confirmed the new formula offers UV absorption comparable to existing zinc oxide sunscreens.

A Greener and Inclusive Innovation

In addition to eliminating the white cast, the new sunscreen technology offers environmental benefits. The tetrapod zinc oxide does not require solvents, making production more sustainable.

Because zinc oxide is already an FDA-approved UV filter, experts say regulatory hurdles for bringing the product to market may be less complex than introducing entirely new chemical filters — none of which have been approved in the United States since 1999.

Addae is now working with UCLA to commercialize the technology.

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Expanding Protection for All

The breakthrough carries broader implications for health equity, particularly among communities historically underserved by cosmetic and dermatological industries.

By making sunscreen more wearable for people of color, researchers say innovations like this could improve prevention of sun damage and skin cancer worldwide.

Addae hopes the technology will encourage wider adoption of daily sun protection.

“I think it’s a good step in the right direction for getting everyone to wear sunscreen and prevent skin cancer,” she said.