The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) has issued a public apology after mistakenly publishing the wrong photograph of a suspect involved in an ongoing gold smuggling case.
In a statement signed by Prince Kwame Minkah, Media Relations Officer for the Ghana Gold Board and released on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, the Board clarified that while the name and details of the suspect — Mohammed Nandoli Rafeeq, also known as Salaam— were correct, the photo released during its press conference was incorrect.
The image published was actually that of Mr. Shamlal Ahamed, the Managing Director of International Operations at Malabar Gold and Diamonds, who has no connection to the case.
“The GoldBod deeply regrets this inadvertent mistake and conveys its sincerest apologies to Mr. Shamlal Ahamed and the Malabar Gold and Diamonds company,” the statement said.
The correct photograph of Mohammed Nandoli Rafeeq, who is allegedly involved in the gold smuggling case linked to RAFMOH Gold Limited and NK Bernard Enterprise, has since been released.
GoldBod has also called on all media outlets that carried the incorrect photo to immediately update their reports and remove the image of Mr. Ahamed to avoid further reputational damage.
