Ghanaian tomato seller arrested in Burkina Faso

A Ghanaian tomato seller has been arrested and detained for more than four weeks in Burkina Faso for allegedly owning some tomato farmers in that country.

The victim, Agnes Adjoa Manfoa, 48, was arrested in the mid of March this year after she went to Burkina Faso to bring some tomato consignment.

She is said to be owning about CFA 4.2 million, equivalent to about GH¢ 37,568.26.

What happened?

The National Chairman of Ghana Tomato Importers Association, Mr Eric Osei Tuffour, who disclosed the development in an interview with Graphic Online, said the victim was formerly at the Agbogbloshie market but now sells at CMB in Accra.

According to him, the victim incurred the loss as a result of her bringing a full truck of tomatoes from Burkina Faso to Ghana in March, 2019.

He explained that greater part of the consignment the victim brought spoilt, since the consignment arrived on the same day with about 36 other trucks by other traders.

Mr Tuffour told Graphic Online that because of the perishability of tomatoes, the association had advised its members against an individual bringing in a full truck of tomatoes, adding that instead, the association wanted its members to form a group of five to bring one truck.

He said regulating the frequency and quantum of tomatoes importation would help the sellers to sell their consignment on time and also reduced the incident of spoilage.

According to Mr Tuffour, since many of the tomatoes the victim went bad, the victim was unable to recover the her money to enable her to pay her debtors.

He explained that the victim at the latter part of March went to Zeiri, a community located about 12 miles away from Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, to bring some new consignment so that it would help her to make some money to pay her debtors.

But that, Mr Tuffour explained, when some of the farmers got wind that the victim had come to a different community in the country, they reported her to the police, hence leading to her arrest and detainment.

According to him, the farmers were demanding their money before the victim could be released from the cells.

Mr Tuffour said he had reported the incident to Ghana’s Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Naa Dolina Saaka.

Family

The brother of the victim, Nana Essam Kofi, said the family had not been able to establish contact with the victim except an interpreter who had been communicating with the family on the issue.

According to him, the sister called her business partner when the incident happened, pointing out that it was the sister’s business partner who called the interpreter.

He said his sister told her business partner that she was owning about GH¢27,000 and not 37,568.26.

Mr Essam Kofi said the family had been able to raise GH¢13,000 but the interpreter told him (Essam Kofi) that without the full amount, the sister would not be released from the cells.

He said the family was in a state of dilemma as it could not ascertain whether the victim was alive or not.

According to him, the vehicle that the sister went with to Zieri was also impounded for many weeks until the owner of the vehicle from Kumasi went to the town to bring it.