Introduction
Social media went ablaze on Thursday, December 19, 2024, when the host of Loud Silence TV, Kelvin Taylor, posted a video accusing the government of smuggling gold bars out of the country to DUBAI. This can be found in the 2 hours, 30 minutes, and 22 seconds of the live stream on YouTube.
The claim has become widespread on various social platforms, including X, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, where the statement is published. This has caused several backlashes to the Akufo-Addo government, which has been accused of being corrupt and smuggling these gold bars out of the country because the government is leaving office.
Accusations from Kelvin Taylor
Mr Taylor first posted the picture of a van on Facebook on December 17, indicating that the truck contained gold being smuggled out of the country. The post reads, “Information coming in indicates this van is full of gold about to be transported to DUBAI on Emirates Airlines by the Akufo-Addo family. More soon.” He subsequently gave updates that the van that had the gold had now been moved to the airport. He claimed that his checks revealed that the truck belonged to the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC).
Image of: Alleged bullion van containing the gold bars. Source: Loud Silence TV
Reaction from the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Efforts to reach the Ashanti Regional Organizer of the NDC, Joseph Yamin, because he was mentioned to have led the mob to intercept the gold bars, proved unsuccessful. However, DUBAWA monitored a live interview on Channel One TV’s evening news bulletin on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, where the party’s Deputy General Secretary, Mustapha Gbande, addressed the issue.
Mr Gbande confirmed that those involved were led by Joseph Yamin. He maintained that their actions were based on intelligence suggesting the government smuggled gold bars out of the country. Mr Gbande contacted the Managing Director of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), Nana Akwasi Awuah, who assured him the claims were false. Despite this assurance, Mr Gbande insisted that his intel indicated the movement of a bullion van carrying gold. Consequently, his team felt compelled to intercept the vehicle at the Aviance Terminal of Kotoka International Airport and secure access to the gold at Kotoka International Airport.
PMMC Clarification
The Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) is the sole licensed agency responsible for granting permits to individuals seeking to trade in gold and other precious minerals in Ghana. Speaking at a live interview on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News, the Managing Director of PMMC, Nana Akwasi Awuah, recounted the recent incident involving a group he described as a “mob.”
According to Mr Awuah, the group forcibly attempted to seize bullion bars being processed for the Bank of Ghana as part of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP) launched in June 2021. As the national assayer tasked with certifying the purity and quality of precious metals before export, PMMC was in the process of verifying the weight and value of the gold when the mob alleged that the bullion was being smuggled out of the country.
After hours of tension, an agreement was reached to transfer the bullion to the Greater Accra Regional Police Command for safekeeping while the matter was resolved. Ghone TV News had the privilege of filming the process of gold being transported back to the Bank of Ghana.
PMMC further revealed that the disruption also impacted a private licensed exporter processing gold for export. During the incident, the exporter’s gold was inadvertently included with the bullion belonging to the Bank of Ghana. Nonetheless, the PMMC failed to reveal the identity of this private exporter, even though it indicated that this exporter was not a politically exposed person.
NDC’s Argument
The Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Mustapha Gbande, questioned why the government would attempt to export such a significant quantity of gold during a transitional period shortly after losing an election.
Road to Police Service and Bank of Ghana
DUBAWA contacted the Ghana Police Service and the Bank of Ghana for their perspective on the matter but attempts to obtain an official comment have been unsuccessful.
Conclusion
DUBAWA cannot verify whether the gold bars were indeed smuggled despite the explanations from the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) and the National Democratic Congress until a full investigation is conducted on the allegation.
Akuffo-Addo is a nation wrecker and NOT a nation builder. If the stories about the attempted effort to smuggle gold bars out of the Country to Dubai by the Akuffo-Addo family and the investigation into the issue conclude it’s true, Akuffo-Addo’s legacy would be that he is the worst President and most corruptible person to have occupied the highest office of the land as President.