Faustina Djagbele Abbey, a female makola market onion seller has filed a GHS2 million lawsuit against Telecel Ghana for violations of copyright. Mrs. Djagbele accused the telecommunications provider of using her picture in a viral advertisement called “Telecel Red Save” without her consent, according to a writ dated May 23, 2025.
The mother of three children who resides at Housing Down, Adenta claims in the court documents that her life took an unexpected turn in February 2025 when people around her began reacting strangely.
Mrs, Faustina emphasized how customers at her market stall started congratulating her for appearing on billboard, in television ads and across social media platforms.
She stressed that, friends, neighbors and even church members began teasing her believing she had suddenly become wealthy and famous.
She alleges that people in her community, especially other traders even approached her for money, assuming she has received significant payment from a big brand campaign.
However, in a twist turn of events, confused and embarrassed mother began investigating the matter and was shocked to discover that her photograph has been used in a promotional campaign for a financial product called “Telecel Red Save”.
The product, a digital savings account under the Telecel Cash platform, was advertised across Ghana using the woman’s face as the lead image.
However, she insists she never gave Telecel or any of its partners permission to use her photo and was never contacted or compensated for it.
Further investigations by her children and friends revealed that the advertisement had aired on multiple TV stations, appeared on billboards, and was widely shared on social media.
The lawsuit states that the unauthorized use of her image has caused emotional distress, embarrassment, and harm to her reputation, forcing her to explain herself repeatedly to customers and community members who assumed she had been paid for the endorsement.
She is now seeking GHS2 million in damages, claiming that the company’s actions show a “wanton disregard” for her privacy, dignity, and livelihood.
Telecel Ghana is yet to release an official response to the lawsuit.
