Highly influential people sponsoring Ghana Jollof TikTok activities – CID

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) says its investigations into the activities of the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account have uncovered financial transfers from highly influential persons to one of the suspects linked to the platform.

According to the police, the money was transferred to Salomey Awiti Bafoh, a senior nursing officer accused of helping Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, popularly known as “Ghana Jollof”, to disseminate videos published on the account.

The CID said some of the funds received by Bafoh were subsequently shared with other individuals involved in redistributing the videos across various social media platforms.

Addressing the media at the CID headquarters in Accra on Friday, September 18, Director-General of the CID, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, said forensic examination of devices and financial records had revealed the alleged transactions.

"Forensic examination of audio and video files on the mobile devices in custody, as well as mobile money transaction records, indicates that highly influential persons in society have transferred significant sums of money to the suspect Salomey Awiti, who intends shares them with Ghana Jolof,” COP Donkor said.

The CID said Kodua, who is believed to be domiciled in the United Kingdom, had used the Ghana Jollof TikTok account to publish what police described as offensive and inciteful comments as well as alleged false news capable of causing fear and alarm.

One of the videos under investigation, according to the police, contained a claim that there had been a near coup d’état at the Jubilee House.

COP Donkor said investigators had identified Bafoh as an individual who allegedly aided Kodua by recruiting others to redistribute and circulate the videos.

“Investigations have so far established that Salomey Awiti Bafoh assisted in the dissemination of the videos produced by Barbara Asantua Kodia by recruiting other persons to redistribute and circulate the material through various social media platforms,” she said.

The CID boss said investigations are ongoing to identify other people involved in the redistribution of the content as well as those who allegedly financed the activities.