Six individuals have been hauled before Circuit Court 10 in Accra by the Ghana Gold Board, facing multiple charges related to illegal gold trade and smuggling.
The accused – Smart Philander (A1), Nina Elfseky (A2), Nana Yaw Sarpong Boateng (A3), Sowa Elisha (A4), Evans Arhin (A5) and Anold Otutey (A6) – were arraigned on Monday, September 29, 2025.
They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and were each granted bail in the sum of GH¢900,000 with two sureties, who must be Ghanaians residing within the jurisdiction of the court.
Presiding over the proceedings, Her Honour Evelyn Asamoah adjourned the case to October 27, 2025 for further hearing.
The accused face four counts including: conspiracy to commit a crime, engaging in Gold Trade without a Licence, conspiracy to smuggle gold and unauthorised assaying of gold.
Case Summary
Chief Inspector Simon Nyaho Esq., presenting the facts of the case, told the court that the complainants are officers of the Ghana Gold Board Taskforce.
According to the prosecution, the first accused, Smart Philander, an American citizen, resides temporarily in Ghana with his wife, Nina Elfseky, a Moroccan national.
The remaining four accused are Ghanaian nationals residing in Accra.
The Ghana Gold Board Taskforce had been monitoring the group for some time, suspecting them to be part of a larger gold smuggling syndicate.
Intelligence gathered indicated that the accused had been soliciting gold from individuals with the intent to purchase it without a licence and smuggle it out of the country.
Undercover officers were deployed to track their activities. On September 25, 2025 Smart Philander allegedly approached one of the undercover agents and expressed his interest in purchasing five kilograms of gold for illegal export.
The transaction was arranged at Philander’s office located at SSNIT Emporium, near Marina Mall, Airport.
During the operation, Philander is said to have assayed the gold using his personal equipment before making payment to the undercover officer. Immediately after the transaction, all six suspects were arrested on site.
Investigations into the case are still ongoing
The Ghana Gold Board has reiterated its commitment to clamp down on illegal gold operations, warning that violators of the Gold Board Act will face the full rigour of the law.