Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has dismissed claims linking his bodyguards to gold trading or the alleged theft of GH¢200 million belonging to the state agency, describing the allegations as “laughable”.

Mr Gyamfi said the claims were part of what he described as a coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at damaging his reputation and that of GoldBod.

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

He categorically denied the allegation and said none of his security personnel had been involved in gold trading or taken money belonging to the institution.

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

Mr Gyamfi also 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 and not 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 further questioned the claim that Mr Bonsu had served as his bodyguard, citing the physical differences between the two men.

"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.

Mr Gyamfi subsequently broadened his response to accuse political opponents of deliberately spreading misinformation about him and GoldBod.

He alleged that the campaign was being driven by people who believe his role at GoldBod was responsible for their continued stay in opposition.

"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.

Mr Gyamfi named Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Atiwa East MP Abena Osei-Asare and Ofoase Ayirebi MP Kojo Oppong Nkrumah as what he described as the leaders and champions of the alleged campaign.

He urged journalists and members of the public to verify claims made by the three MPs 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 also argued that his critics were protected from legal consequences when making allegations on the floor of Parliament because of parliamentary privilege.

He said he would pursue legal action if the same allegations were repeated outside Parliament.

"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.

He further argued that his critics would be exposed if they were invited to answer questions before Parliament in a televised session where he could respond directly to their allegations.

According to Mr Gyamfi, the absence of such a confrontation was evidence that those making the allegations were unwilling to subject their claims to scrutiny.

The GoldBod CEO also rejected renewed calls from the Minority for a special parliamentary committee to investigate the institution's finances.

He argued that Parliament's existing committees already have the authority to invite him and other chief executives to answer questions about their institutions.

"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.

Mr Gyamfi predicted that MPs pushing for a special investigation would eventually avoid using the existing committee system and instead blame 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.

Mr Gyamfi reiterated that Mr Bonsu was a licensed Tier Two gold buyer under GoldBod's regulatory framework and said he had no personal relationship with him.

He explained that GoldBod's licensing system is digital and that licences are issued based on qualification 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.

Mr Bonsu was subsequently arrested and remanded into lawful custody by an Accra High Court, with the matter still pending.

GoldBod and Mr Gyamfi's lawyers have separately dismissed the allegation of a GH¢200 million loss as false, malicious and defamatory.

Beyond the controversy surrounding Mr Bonsu, Mr Gyamfi used the session to restate the government's broader ambitions for Ghana's gold sector.

He said 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 what he described as a significant increase in Ghana's foreign reserves.

According to Mr Gyamfi, the country's reserves had risen from about US$8.9 billion to US$13.8 billion under President John Mahama.