Minister for the interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has disclosed that the large sums of US dollars seized during a high-profile raid at Sarpeiman were counterfeit.
Speaking before Parliament’s Government Assurances Committee, the Minister said the Bank of Ghana (BoG) had examined the seized foreign currency and confirmed that all the dollars were fake.
According to him, the central bank subsequently destroyed the counterfeit notes.
“The Bank of Ghana informed us that the dollars were fake, and they have been burnt,” the Minister told the committee.
Mr Muntaka further disclosed that the gold bars recovered during the operation had been handed over to the newly established Ghana Gold Board, while the Ghana cedi notes seized at the scene were transferred to the Bank of Ghana for further action.
However, the revelation raised concerns among members of the committee, with Chairman Emmanuel Bedzrah questioning how prosecutors would substantiate their case in court after the destruction of the alleged counterfeit dollars.
The Minister did not immediately provide details on whether samples of the fake currency had been preserved as evidence for prosecution.
In February 2025, the National Security conducted a major operation, seizing a substantial yet unspecified amount of U.S. dollars and Ghana cedis, including counterfeit notes, concealed in twelve 20-foot shipping containers.
The containers were traced to a warehouse in Sapeiman, Ga South Municipality, where a special operation was launched following a tip-off.
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