The Ghana Police Service has arrested a 20-year-old woman, Promise Yayra Asamani, for allegedly publishing false information on social media that led to serious reputational and economic harm to an Uber driver.
The arrest was carried out by the Police’s Cyber Vetting and Enforcement Team following a complaint lodged by 43-year-old driver Selasie Kwaku Anthonio over a viral Snapchat post that falsely portrayed him as a criminal.
According to police, the post featured the driver’s photograph and vehicle registration number and labelled him a “murderer and a thief.” It also alleged that he used signal jammers to disrupt passengers’ network connectivity and carried offensive weapons.
The complainant reported that he became aware of the post on March 10 after being alerted by a relative. The publication subsequently triggered a wave of distressing calls from family members and customers, while Uber blocked his account—effectively cutting off his source of income. He also expressed fears for his safety amid potential public hostility.
Police investigations initially led to the arrest of Stephanie Asamani, the suspect’s sister, at her residence in Cambodia, Spintex, in Accra on 13 March.
During interrogation, Stephanie told investigators that she had taken a ride with the complainant on March 9 from Spintex to Oyibi. She alleged that the driver asked to alter the trip destination to go “off-trip” and made a phone call in Ewe suggesting he was “bringing goods to a location.”
She further claimed to have seen a rag and a hammer in the vehicle’s boot area and said the driver later stopped at the Toyota Motors Roundabout, leading to a verbal altercation that prompted her to end the trip.
Stephanie said she later shared details of the incident with her sisters, including a screenshot of the driver’s profile. However, on March 11, she discovered that the story had been posted on Snapchat.
When confronted, Promise Yayra Asamani reportedly admitted to publishing the post, claiming it was intended to “create awareness.”
Police say further investigations confirmed that the suspect authored the viral post despite having no evidence to support the allegations. She also failed to honour an earlier police invitation on March 12, leading to her arrest on March 14.
During questioning, she admitted the claims were based solely on her sister’s account.
She has since been granted police enquiry bail on March 16, while investigations continue.
The Police have cautioned the public against the publication of unverified or false information, stressing that such actions are punishable under Ghanaian law.
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