The Bank of Ghana has escalated its enforcement against the defacement of the national currency by arresting seven people across Accra. The joint operation with the Ghana Police Service targeted individuals allegedly producing and selling money bouquets and money cakes for social events such as weddings, birthdays, and graduations. The Head of the Statistics Office at the Currency Management Department of the Bank of Ghana, Dianah Bondzi, addressed the media following the arrests. She stated that the suspects will be processed for court and prosecuted according to the law.

Bondzi reiterated that the Ghana Cedi remains the legal tender of the republic and must be handled with dignity. The central bank warned the general public that engaging in, promoting, or facilitating the alteration of banknotes will attract strict legal sanctions. To provide clarity on the legal boundaries regarding the handling of banknotes, the Bank of Ghana outlined specific practices that constitute currency abuse:

• Producing money bouquets or money cakes for commercial or personal use.
• Spraying banknotes during public or private social events.
• Using physical currency notes as jewelry or decorative materials.
• Scattering, stepping on, writing on, or physically altering the state of the currency.

The central bank intends to move beyond issuing public warnings and will continue working closely with law enforcement agencies to actively prosecute offenders. Those found guilty under the Currency Act face potential penalties ranging from monetary fines to custodial sentences.