Jessica Hartog

Jessica Hartog (born c. 1992), a 34-year-old Ghanaian entrepreneur, built her name in Accra's beauty and wellness industry as the founder and chief executive of Euro Spa and Beauty Lounge, a spa and salon located in Shiashie, East Legon. She established the business from modest beginnings, reportedly starting with just GH5, and grew it into a recognisable fixture in one of Accra's most affluent neighbourhoods. The salon drew a clientele from the East Legon social scene, and Hartog became known locally as one of the area's prominent businesswomen.

Her profile shifted dramatically in September 2026 when she was arrested by officers of the Narcotics Control Commission of Ghana (NACOC) at Ashaley Botwe on 12 September, following one of the largest cocaine seizures linked to Ghana in recent years. On 10 September 2026, French customs authorities at the port of Dunkirk intercepted a 40-foot shipping container that had arrived from Ghana. The container was declared to contain plastic waste. Inside, investigators found approximately 3.9 tonnes of cocaine, which French authorities valued at roughly 225 million euros, equivalent to around 260 million US dollars at the time of seizure.

Hartog was arraigned before an Accra High Court on 16 September 2026 alongside three co-accused: Desmond Koranteng Curiel, a businessman who also uses the aliases Paul Kweku Yeboah and Biggs; Musah Attah, known as Kromo; and Kweku Otchere. In court, Hartog was identified as the fiance of Curiel, who prosecutors treat as a central figure in the alleged operation. A fifth accused, Jos Leijdekkers, a Dutch national who operates under the alias Bolle Jos, was reported to be at large at the time of the arraignment.

The four accused persons each pleaded not guilty to two charges: conspiracy to commit a crime, specifically the exportation of narcotic drugs without a licence issued by the Minister of Health, and the unauthorised exportation of narcotic drugs. Hartog's defence position, as relayed by the prosecution in court, was that she had no knowledge of the nature or details of Curiel's business activities. The court remanded all four accused in custody and adjourned the matter to 13 October 2026 for further proceedings.

The case drew significant public attention in Ghana, partly because of the scale of the alleged shipment and partly because of Hartog's visibility as an East Legon entrepreneur. Coverage across Ghanaian media framed her as an unlikely suspect given her public profile as a businesswoman in the beauty industry, while commentary on social media focused on the contrast between her lifestyle as a successful spa owner and the allegations now before the court.

The allegations against Hartog remain untested before a court. She has maintained her innocence, and the case was at the preliminary remand stage as of late September 2026. Under Ghanaian law and the principle of the presumption of innocence, she is to be considered innocent unless and until the prosecution establishes her guilt to the required standard in proceedings before the High Court.