Bank of Ghana Arrests 7 Women in Accra for Making 'Money Bouquets' and Defacing Cedi Notes.

ACCRA, Ghana — In a major crackdown on currency abuse, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) with the help of the Ghana Police Service has arrested seven women in different parts of the capital for allegedly misusing and mauling the local currency notes.

The suspects were rounded up in a joint operation after a tip-off. Sources in the central bank said the accused were using the currency notes to make “money bouquets” and “money cakes” for sale. The arrests represent the most significant action so far by authorities in pursuit of local laws that safeguard the nation’s currency from abuse.

The Bank of Ghana had in a public notice warned that folding, pinning, gluing, or generally manipulating banknotes for decorative purposes is illegal. Investigators from the central bank uncovered that the suspects had turned this social media phenomenon into a business, providing clients with money bouquets as gifts for birthdays, weddings, and graduations.

Speaking to reporters after the operation, Dinah Bonzi, the Head of the Statistics Office at the BoG’s Currency Management Department, said the practice amounted to a serious misuse of the nation’s legal tender.

“The manipulation of banknotes for the production of money bouquets and money cakes is a serious violation and abuse of the legal tender. It significantly shortens the lifespan of the banknotes because it damages them,” Ms. Bonzi said in a statement.

This, she added, causes the central bank to incur unnecessary costs as it has to redeploy fresh banknotes to replace the mangled ones.

“The Bank of Ghana wishes to caution the public against using banknotes and coins to make money bouquets and money cakes,” Ms. Bonzi said in the statement.

“The Ghana cedi is the legal tender of the Republic of Ghana and must be respected. The misuse or abuse of our currency is a serious offence, and this operation is a warning to individuals and businesses.”

The central bank also warned that the upcoming legal action would not only target the artisans who make the flower-like displays but also those who may be involved in facilitating the trade.

Ms. Bonzi said the state will actively prosecute people found to be involved in any way "engaging in, aiding, promoting, or facilitating" the unconventional handling of the currency.

This means vendors, couriers, and planners who facilitate or advertise the sale of money bouquets could also come under the cross hairs of authorities. The seven suspects are being held in custody to assist the Ghana Police Service with investigations and will be presented before the courts in due course.

The punishment for defacing the legal tender under the Bank of Ghana Act and related currency laws is severe. Depending on the court’s findings, convicted offenders will face a fine, a lengthy prison term, or both.

In addition to targeting the production of gift bouquets and celebratory money cakes, the central bank has reminded the public that other social behaviors are also a violation. These range from spraying money at social events to throwing banknotes on the floor, dancing on money, and writing on the notes.

The joint task force will continue to monitor social functions to ensure the public treats the national currency with due respect.