The Bank of Ghana (BoG), working with the Ghana Police Service, has arrested seven people suspected of using Ghana cedi notes to make money bouquets, as authorities intensify efforts to stop the misuse of the national currency.
The suspects were arrested during a joint operation targeting individuals involved in making and selling money bouquets, a practice the central bank says violates Ghana’s currency laws.
Speaking to journalists after the arrests, the Head of the Statistics Office at the Bank of Ghana’s Currency Management Department, Dianah Bondzi, warned the public against using banknotes and coins for decorations at weddings, birthdays, graduations and other social gatherings.
She explained that turning money into bouquets, cakes and other decorative items amounts to currency abuse and could lead to arrest and prosecution.
“The Bank of Ghana wishes to issue a warning to the general public for using the banknotes and coins to create money bouquets, money cakes for weddings, for birthdays, for graduations, and other similar events, which constitutes the misuse and abuse of the currency, and it is illegal and unlawful,” she said.
Ms Bondzi stressed that the Ghana cedi is the country’s legal tender and must be handled with care and respect.
She cautioned that anyone who engages in, supports or promotes activities that damage or misuse the currency could face legal action.
The warning follows an earlier caution by Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama against the improper handling of Ghana’s currency.
In a public notice issued on July 14, 2026, the central bank warned that using banknotes and coins to create money bouquets, jewellery and other decorative items may constitute an offence under the Currency Act, 1964 (Act 242).
The notice also identified several other practices considered improper, including spraying money at events, scattering banknotes on the ground, stepping on them and deliberately tearing, crumpling, staining or damaging them.
According to the Bank of Ghana, such activities affect the quality and durability of banknotes and undermine efforts to maintain the integrity of the national currency.
The central bank said it had stepped up enforcement in collaboration with law enforcement agencies to discourage the practice and ensure compliance with the law.
It has therefore urged individuals, businesses and event organisers to stop using money for decorative purposes and handle Ghana cedi notes and coins responsibly.
The BoG also encouraged the public to report suspected cases of currency abuse to the appropriate authorities.
