London, United Kingdom – Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Zita Sabah Benson, has reassured Ghanaian students on government scholarships that a structured payment plan is being implemented to settle outstanding tuition fees and stipends, following the recent release of first-quarter funds by the Ghana Scholarships Secretariat.

The assurance was given during a meeting with student representatives on April 16, 2026, after the Secretariat disbursed funds aimed at addressing an estimated £32 million debt. The timely release helped avert a planned protest scheduled for April 17.

Students had earlier threatened to demonstrate over prolonged delays, with some reporting unpaid stipends for periods ranging from 15 to 40 months. Many faced financial hardship, including warnings from universities and potential immigration issues due to unpaid tuition and missing renewal letters.

High Commissioner Benson clarified that the fund release was part of the Secretariat’s regular quarterly schedule and not a reaction to the protest threat. She emphasised the government’s commitment to establishing a more predictable and sustainable payment mechanism to prevent future disruptions.

The Ghana Mission in the UK has also begun engaging with individuals, churches, and Ghanaian organisations to provide interim support for affected students while discussions continue with authorities in Accra for a lasting resolution.

Students had raised concerns about new scholarships being awarded to beneficiaries in countries such as Canada, the United States, Germany, and China, while longstanding obligations to UK-based scholars remained unresolved.

The High Commissioner’s intervention is seen as a positive step toward restoring confidence and ensuring Ghanaian scholars can focus on their studies without financial distress.

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.