Ten Chinese nationals accused of engaging in illegal gold trade, smuggling, and money laundering have been granted bail by the Circuit Court in Accra, presided over by His Honour Samuel Bright Acquah.
Each of the accused — Wu Cheng Wei, Tang Da Jien, Wang Chung Ling, Wei Dong, Li Fu Shong, Wei Sheng Xin, He Shi Long, Li Ren Neng, Fang Zhun Sheng and Zheng Xi Chuang was granted bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 bringing the total to GH¢1 million.
The court imposed strict bail conditions, including three sureties: a Ghanaian civil servant earning no less than GH¢10,000 per month, a Chinese national resident in Ghana for at least five years and a Ghanaian citizen.
Additionally, the accused must surrender their travel documents to the court registry and have been placed on a watchlist at all Ghanaian entry and exit points to prevent them from fleeing. They are also required to report to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays.
The accused have pleaded not guilty to all charges, namely conspiracy to commit a crime, trading in gold without lawful authority, trading in gold without authority, gold smuggling and hoarding of gold.
The others are failure to register under Ghana’s tax laws, money laundering – using illicit proceeds to acquire casino chips with the intent to transfer funds abroad and possession of firearms and ammunition without lawful authority.
According to the facts presented by Chief Inspector Jacob Maalo Kuubal Esq., the accused were arrested on June 30, 2025 at Asankragua, a mining town in Ghana’s Western Region, by the National Security Gold Board Task Force following intelligence tip-offs.
A raid on the accused’ residences uncovered unspecified quantity of gold bars, nuggets and over 1,286 kilograms of gold dust as well as gold-buying ledgers, receipts and other paraphernalia linked to the illicit trade.
Authorities also seized 12 pump-action shotguns, 36 cartridges, mercury, gold scales, safes, and casino cash chips believed to be used in laundering proceeds from gold sales.
Investigators stated that while the accused admitted involvement in gold trading and casino activities, they were unable to produce valid business documentation or tax registration, in violation of the Revenue Administration Act, 2016 (Act 915).
Further investigations are ongoing to identify additional accomplices and recover assets, including suspected undisclosed gold vaults.
