Sammy Gyamfi denies bodyguard gold theft claims, accuses Afenyo-Markin, Osei-Asare and Oppong Nkrumah of disinformation

Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has dismissed as "laughable" claims linking his bodyguards to gold trading or the theft of funds belonging to the state agency, insisting the allegations are part of a coordinated disinformation campaign targeted at him.

Speaking on X Spaces on Sunday, 9 August 2026, Mr Gyamfi addressed weeks of controversy sparked by viral claims that a former bodyguard of his had absconded with GH¢200 million belonging to GoldBod.

"None of my bodyguards is involved in gold trading, and none of my bodyguards has stolen or taken Gold Board money," he said.

He again distanced himself from Dominic Bonsu, the licensed gold dealer at the centre of the controversy, saying the businessman was, to his understanding, an NPP constituency executive in the Manso area of the Ashanti Region rather than a member of his security detail.

"The said Dominic Bonsu, I understand, is even a constituency executive of the NPP somewhere in the Manso area in the Ashanti Region," Mr Gyamfi said.

He went further, poking fun at suggestions that the two men had any security-related relationship, citing their physical difference when he last set eyes on Mr Bonsu.

"You can see that I'm a very lean guy, but the last time I saw him, when he was brought from remand custody, I saw that I'm more muscular than him, I'm bigger than him. I don't see how that guy can be my bodyguard. So it is laughable," he said.

The GoldBod boss then broadened his response into an accusation that opponents were running a deliberate campaign to discredit him and the institution he leads.

"There is a deliberate disinformation agenda against Sammy Gyamfi and the GoldBod by people who think that Sammy Gyamfi is the reason why they are in opposition. So it is time to pay Sammy Gyamfi back," he said.

He named Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin, Atiwa East MP Abena Osei-Asare, and Ofoase Ayirebi MP Kojo Oppong Nkrumah as what he called the leaders and champions of the campaign, and urged the public and journalists to verify any claims the trio made directly with GoldBod.

"The leaders and champions of this disinformation campaign are the likes of Afenyo-Markin, Abena Osei-Asare, Oppong Nkrumah. So when you hear them say anything, please come and check with us, because none of the things they say is true," he said.

Mr Gyamfi argued that his critics were shielded from legal consequences only because their allegations were made under parliamentary privilege, and claimed he would sue them if the same claims were repeated outside the House.

"The leaders and champions of this disinformation campaign are the likes of Afenyo-Markin, Abena Osei-Asare, Oppong Nkrumah. So when you hear them say anything, please come and check with us, because none of the things they say is true," he said.

Mr Gyamfi argued that his critics were shielded from legal consequences only because their allegations were made under parliamentary privilege, and claimed he would sue them if the same claims were repeated outside the House.

"On the floor of Parliament, they are covered by parliamentary immunities. If they made those allegations against me in the media, I will sue them, and they know it," he said, adding that the trio also knew they would be exposed as dishonest if he were invited to answer questions before Parliament in a televised session — which he said was precisely why they had avoided doing so.

Turning to renewed calls from the Minority for a special parliamentary committee to investigate GoldBod's finances, Mr Gyamfi argued the request was unnecessary, given that existing committees already had the mandate to summon him.

"You have a committee on economy, a committee on finance, a committee of Parliament on lands — you can invite any CEO to appear before you to answer questions. You don't need any special committee. Bring an invitation on Monday, and I will come, if the committee wants to delve into GoldBod losses," he said.

He predicted that MPs pushing for the probe would ultimately shy away from using the existing committee system while blaming the parliamentary Majority for blocking their motion.

"Then we will see who is truthful. But they will not do that. They will say the Majority is blocking their motion. But why won't they block it? Because it's a useless motion. They already have the opportunity through the committee system," he said.

On Mr Bonsu's identity, Mr Gyamfi reiterated that the businessman was a licensed Tier Two gold buyer under GoldBod's regulatory framework with no personal relationship to him, stressing that the Board's digital licensing system meant licences were issued strictly on merit rather than political affiliation.

"I don't have any said bodyguard. This gentleman is a licensed Tier Two buyer. We don't look at people's political colours — we give licences to any Ghanaian who is qualified. I don't even see them, because our licensing system is digital. I've signed more than 1,000 licences. I'm not sure I've met face-to-face with ninety-nine per cent of the licensees, unless at public stakeholder engagements, where I might see people in groups," he said.

GoldBod has previously said Dominic Bonsu Ventures' Tier Two gold trading licence was suspended in July 2026 over suspected breaches of its licence conditions and trading directives, after which Mr Bonsu was arrested and remanded into lawful custody by an Accra High Court, where the matter remains pending. GoldBod and Mr Gyamfi's lawyers have separately dismissed the GH¢200 million loss claim as false, malicious and defamatory.

Beyond the bodyguard controversy, Mr Gyamfi used the session to restate the government's broader ambitions for the gold sector, saying the focus had been on strengthening the domestic gold value chain, increasing local refining and improving oversight of gold trading activities.

He also credited the Mahama administration's gold-led reserve accumulation strategy for a sharp rise in the country's foreign reserves, which he said had increased from about US$8.9 billion to US$13.8 billion under President John Mahama.