A Ghanaian man has broken his silence after a British widow, who was scammed out of £1 million, died in a car crash while visiting him. Janet Fordham, 69, lost her life savings to romance fraudsters and travelled to Ghana to meet Daniel 'Kofi' Agyapong, who promised to help recover the stolen money.
Background of the Scam
Janet, a former housekeeper, had been living in a caravan at her son's home in Devon after her second husband's death. She was targeted by scammers based in the UK, Germany, the US, and Ghana. Agyapong claimed he could retrieve the funds, and the two became engaged.
The Fatal Crash
On Valentine's Day 2023, the couple was driving to visit Agyapong's family when the accident occurred. Agyapong described swerving to avoid an overtaking car on a narrow road under repair, causing the vehicle to roll over twice and hit a tree. Janet sustained a severe head injury and died at the hospital. Agyapong stated she was not wearing a seatbelt.
Janet's family alleges murder, but Agyapong insists it was an accident. He said, "Why would I want to kill her? I loved Janet and she loved me." He added that he held her until emergency services arrived and suffers from neck pain himself.
Investigation and Findings
A police report ruled the death accidental, citing the crash and lack of seatbelt. The UK High Commission in Accra attended the postmortem, and the pathologist confirmed a head injury from a road traffic accident. No foul play was indicated.
Agyapong expressed his grief, saying he wanted to visit Janet's grave in England. "I think about her every day," he stated. He also revealed his plan to recover her money involved contacting police to arrest the scammers, claiming they were close to success before her death.
The case highlights the devastating impact of romance scams on vulnerable individuals. Janet's family continues to mourn, while Agyapong maintains his innocence.
