News
Gold Board places GH¢1 million bounty on suspected gold smugglers
The Ghana Gold Board has announced a GH¢1 million bounty on each of four fugitives believed to be behind a major gold smuggling syndicate.
Chief Executive of the Board, Sammy Gyamfi, told journalists in Accra that the syndicate is the most elaborate uncovered since the Gold Board was established.
He said the suspects identified as Rafik Mohamed Nandoli, also known as “Salaam,” Indian national Afsar Puthalan, and two Ghanaians, Abdul Karim and Sadiq Abubakar played key roles in moving large quantities of gold out of the country illegally.
According to Mr. Gyamfi, the syndicate financed licensed traders and used couriers to buy gold in mining areas.
The gold was then transported to Accra, where it was smuggled across borders into Togo and other destinations.
He revealed that investigations showed that Rafmore Gold Limited, owned by Salaam, had bought over 100 kilograms of gold worth more than GH¢120 million between June and August 2025, even though the company was not licensed by the Gold Board.
The Chief Executive explained that the syndicate’s operations were uncovered following a tip-off in August this year.
On August 27, 2025, a courier, Abdul Razak, was arrested at Winneba Junction with three packs of gold weighing 8.5 kilograms, valued at about GH¢10.2 million at the time. Razak confessed to being recruited by his cousin, Abdul Karim, and admitted to transporting gold for just GH¢500 per trip.
Further investigations led to the arrest of a licensed trader, Bernard Nkrumah of NK Benak Enterprise, and a Chinese national, Arin Liao. The three were arraigned in court on 5th September 2025 and later granted bail with strict conditions.
Mr. Gyamfi confirmed that Rafmore Gold Limited and NK Benak Enterprise had since been shut down, and their licenses suspended.
He warned that any licensed gold dealer who sold gold without proper receipts, or to unapproved persons, would face suspension, fines, or criminal prosecution.
He stressed that the Board was determined to fight illegal gold trading without fear or favor, regardless of the individuals’ political connections or influence.
“We are working with Interpol and national security agencies to track the four suspects, who we believe are hiding in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Dubai, or Togo,” he said.
He urged the public to assist by providing credible information that could lead to the arrest of the fugitives, noting that hotlines had been provided for this purpose.
Mr. Gyamfi assured that the suspects already in custody would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, while the Board continues its efforts to protect Ghana’s gold resources from criminal networks.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Member of Parliament for the people of Anlo, Richard Kwami Sefe, has cautioned government against relying on relief items for victims of tidal waves in the Volta Region.
According to him, residents are tired of temporary solutions, and no more interested in handouts but adequate measures to end the perennial problem.
Speaking to the media today, April 20, he called for swift implementation of long-term interventions to address the crisis.
Richard Sefe, raised concerns over delays in implementing the West Africa Coastal Areas Project to address tidal wave devastation in the Volta Region Ghana.
The Member of Parliament noted that despite a $150 million World Bank loan approved in 2023, much of the funds have gone into workshops instead of the main project, urging government to act urgently.
Richard Kwami Sefe, warned that over 100 communities in the Volta Region Ghana risk being wiped out if urgent action is not taken.
He cited recent tidal waves that breached the sandbar between the sea and the Volta River, urging government to prioritise residents’ safety and prevent a looming disaster.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Agyeman-Rawlings family on Friday April 17, 2026, visited former Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) member, General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah and his family to console him over the loss of his wife, Margaret Nunoo-Mensah, who passed away in February.
Led by Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the delegation which included Ms. Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings and Amina Agyeman-Rawlings, in consoling the Nunoo-Mensah family said the visit was to honour the relationship that was built “before us” between the two families.
“We are here because we understand the true value of friendship and we do express our sincere condolences to the family. Relationships matter; friendship matter,” Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings said.
General Nunoo-Mensah, a former Chief of Defence Staff during the PNDC and later National Security Advisor under President John Evans Atta Mills, said it was comforting that the Agyeman-Rawlings family had visited at a time when they were also enduring the pain of losing their mother.
He recalled his special relationship with President Jerry John Rawlings and regaled the meeting with memorable times spent with the late former President.
“I am very grateful,” General Nunoo Mensah stated.
General Nunoo-Mensah was joined at the meeting by his children, Ben Nunoo-Mensah, Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, Fred Nunoo-Mensah and Amanda Nunoo-Mensah.
General Nunoo-Mensah was appointed Chief of Defence Staff by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) in 1979.
He was a member of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) which took power in 1981. In 2009 he was appointed the National Security Advisor by President Atta Mills.
General Nunoo-Mensah and Margaret Nunoo-Mensah were married on August 10, 1968.
