The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has presented a cheque for GH¢12.65 million to the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) as a reward for the Commission’s role in the seizure of 17 gold bars from illegal gold traders last year.
The amount represents half of the proceeds realised from the sale of the confiscated gold, which was valued at about GH¢25 million after assay and valuation.
The cheque was presented at GoldBod’s headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, July 15.
Chief Executive Officer of GoldBod, Sammy Gyamfi, said the payment forms part of the Board’s reward system designed to encourage intelligence gathering and strengthen cooperation with state security agencies in tackling illegal gold trading.
He explained that under the policy, individuals whose information leads to the recovery of illegally traded gold receive 10 percent of the value of the seized gold.
According to him, GoldBod has expanded the scheme to also reward officers who carry out enforcement operations and the institutions that provide personnel and logistics for such missions.
He said the Board approved an additional 20 percent reward for officers directly involved in intelligence gathering and the operation, while another 20 percent was allocated to NACOC for deploying its resources to ensure the exercise was successful.
Combined with the informant reward, the allocation brought NACOC’s share to GH¢12,645,862.48.
Mr Gyamfi said the initiative is intended to encourage more intelligence sharing and closer collaboration between GoldBod and security agencies as the country intensifies efforts to curb gold smuggling and other illegal activities within the sector.
Receiving the cheque, NACOC Director-General Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey thanked GoldBod for fulfilling its commitment, describing the payment as a strong incentive for law enforcement agencies involved in protecting the country’s natural resources.
He disclosed that the operation exposed one of the Commission’s officers, who served as the principal informant, to serious security threats.
According to him, military protection had to be provided to ensure the officer’s safety after the intelligence led to the arrests and seizure.
Major General Mantey praised the officers who took part in the operation, saying they demonstrated courage and professionalism despite the risks involved.
He noted that although illegal gold trading is outside NACOC’s core mandate, the Commission will continue to support GoldBod whenever national interests require inter-agency collaboration.
