I take Afenyo-Markin's onerous bail condition threat as comic relief — Sammy Gyamfi
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has dismissed Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin’s comments about possible onerous bail conditions he could face in the future.
The comments come amid a public dispute between the two over claims surrounding a reported $1.7 billion loss under the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP), which Mr Gyamfi has repeatedly denied was a loss incurred by the GoldBod.
Afenyo-Markin had at a press conference on Tuesday, August 18, referred to what he described as onerous bail conditions imposed on some NPP appointees accused of corruption and causing financial loss to the state.
He suggested that Sammy Gyamfi could face a similar situation in the future over alleged financial irregularities under his watch.
However, speaking at a Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, August 19, the GoldBod CEO described Afenyo-Markin’s comments as political rhetoric that should not be taken seriously.
Hr argued that his record at the GoldBod does not warrant such threats, pointing to the institution’s gold exports and contribution to local refining.
He said the GoldBod had exported 170 tonnes of gold through formal channels and brought more than $17 billion into Ghana in one and a half years.
He also contrasted the GoldBod’s record with the performance of institutions under the previous administration, including the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), where the Minority Leader formerly served as a Board Chairman.
“If the one under whose tenure as Board Chairman of ECG, where ECG recorded a loss of GH¢8.2 billion, is not facing any onerous bail terms, then how can I Sammy Gyamfi, under whose tenure at the Gold Board has exported 170 tons of gold through formal channels and brought into this country over $17 billion in one and a half years, still face onerous bail terms?" asked.
He said he would not be intimidated because he believed the work being done by the GoldBod was in the interest of Ghana.
The GoldBod CEO also highlighted the board’s efforts to increase domestic value addition through gold refining, saying more than nine metric tonnes of gold had been refined in Ghana in 2026.
“I will go to prison in his brain, and I will have onerous bail terms in his brain. I’m not afraid of any intimidating tactics because we are serving Ghana in good conscience, and our record and posterity will speak for us,” Sammy Gyamfi stressed.