I watched a video on Facebook in which a middle-aged man cried profusely. He was being unwillingly driven to a location over money he borrowed from Quick Credit and had not repaid on time.

Crying, he stated that he was willing to pay the debt, but things had gone bad for him. He even contemplated suicide, but he made a decision to settle the debt instead. The guys who had literally abducted him, allegedly staff of Quick Credit, kept on threatening him until the video ended.

Empathizing, I asked more questions, and people I interacted with suggested that Quick Credit is notorious for such unlawful and unethical stunts.

Essentially, the rise of microfinance and credit companies such as Quick Credit has provided many with access to much-needed loans, helping to bridge financial gaps and support small businesses.

However, this rise has also brought with it a wave of unethical and illegal practices in their pursuit of debt recovery. Quick Credit and Loans, now rebranded as Bills Credit and Loans, has been at the center of numerous allegations regarding the harassment and illegal treatment of loan defaulters.

They have, over the years, employed unlawful debt collection practices. Even though debt collection is governed by law in Ghana, reports from numerous customers suggest that Quick Credit and Loans has frequently crossed legal boundaries in its attempts to recover debts.

The company’s loan agents have been accused of engaging in practices that not only violate Ghanaian law but also infringe upon the fundamental rights of individuals in an effort to force loan repayment.

The video I described, for instance, is a glaring example of false imprisonment. I stand to be corrected. False imprisonment occurs when someone is unlawfully detained against their will without legal authority or justification. This is a clear violation of Ghana’s legal framework, which protects individuals from unlawful detention and ensures that any deprivation of liberty is conducted under due process of law.

Numerous accounts have been shared and could as well be seen on the internet where loan defaulters have allegedly been forcibly detained by agents of Quick Credit until they can produce the money owed. These actions not only traumatize the individuals involved but also tarnish the reputation of financial institutions as a whole. Such practices are a blatant disregard for the rule of law and can lead to serious legal consequences.

Another disturbing tactic reportedly used by Quick Credit and Loans is the public shaming of defaulters. This includes publicly disclosing private information about a person’s debt or pressuring individuals in their communities or workplaces. Public embarrassment as a debt recovery method is not only unethical but also illegal, as it violates the borrower’s right to privacy and dignity.

For instance, there have been cases where loan agents have allegedly visited the workplaces or homes of defaulters, loudly proclaiming their debt status to colleagues, neighbors, or family members.

As they have allegedly rebranded to Bills Credit and Loans, I hope they will be more ethical and lawful in their debt recovery. It is crucial that Bills Credit and Loans not only refrains from continuing these unlawful practices but also takes active steps to rectify the harm done to affected customers. They owe Ghanaians and their customers an unqualified apology for such crude methods of debt recovery.

So did the Bank of Ghana sit on the fence all this time when it was its responsibility to regulate and supervise all financial institutions? I call on the Ghana Police Service to address these issues promptly as well.

Debt collection, while necessary, must be conducted within the bounds of the law and with respect for the dignity of individuals. I hope others refrain from this unlawfulness.

Long live Mother Ghana.