The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has expressed alarm about the improper use of its cash transit boxes and warned that doing so, particularly for illicit purposes, posed a major risk to the Bank’s operations and reputation.
This warning comes after legitimate BoG currency boxes were found at the heart of a massive counterfeiting scheme in Sapeiman, a suburb of Accra.
Richard Jakpa, the National Security Secretariat’s Director of Special Operations, attested to the fact that the discovered boxes were genuine BoG property.
Authorities have confirmed that the boxes are authentic, according to Jakpa. This has sparked serious concerns about how a criminal group came into possession of legitimate financial instruments.
In a statement titled “Use and Misuse of Bank of Ghana Currency Transport Boxes,” The Central Bank addressed rising public anxiety over the improper use of its wooden cash containers, originally designed for transporting currency securely.
“These boxes are robust, reusable, and well-suited to withstand wear and tear associated with logistics,” Commercial banks frequently return the boxes empty or sometimes use them for operations unrelated to currency, the BoG clarified.
The Bank said, some members of the public have acquired and repurposed the crates for personal or business uses, like general transportation or storage. The Bank cautioned that there is a clear distinction between this type of casual repurposing and criminal exploitation, even though it is not always unlawful.
“The BoG cannot be associated with any misuse of these boxes for criminal or unauthorized activities,” the statement stressed.
“Reports have emerged indicating that certain individuals are using these boxes to implicate the Bank or undermine public trust in its operations.”
The Bank called on law authorities to step in and stressed that attempts to use its branded property to fraudulently link it to criminal activity must be punished as a serious offense.
