Indian national jailed 5 years in Accra for printing fake Ghana cedis and US dollars

Nii Ayitey Brown 11:02 - 14 March 2026

Court Gavel

An Indian national, Shubham Sharma, has been sentenced to five years in prison by an Accra Circuit Court for printing and possessing millions of fake Ghana cedis and US dollars. The court also ordered the destruction of the counterfeit notes and his deportation after serving the sentence.

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced an Indian national, Shubham Sharma, to five years in prison after he was found in possession of large quantities of counterfeit Ghana cedis and United States dollars.

According to Ghana Business news, Sharma, who worked as a manager at a private company in Accra, was convicted after prosecutors presented evidence that he had replaced genuine currency with forged money belonging to his employer.

The court, presided over by Mr Joseph Yennuban Kunsong, sentenced the Indian national to 4 years’ imprisonment for possessing counterfeit Ghana cedis and 5 years for possessing fake US dollars, with the terms to run concurrently.

Prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Wisdom Alorwu, told the court that the accused had taken advantage of his position of trust to withdraw and replace genuine cash from his employer’s safe.

The employer later discovered that large amounts of money were missing and reported the matter to the police.

Investigators later confirmed that the seized GH¢200 notes totaling GH¢1,976,000 and US$100 notes amounting to $191,900 were forged, a finding backed by tests conducted by the Bank of Ghana.

During investigations, Sharma admitted keeping the forged notes in the office. The court also noted that he had spent over 9 months in custody prior to sentencing.

In addition to the prison term, the court ordered that the forged notes be destroyed under the supervision of officials from the Ghana Police Service and the Bank of Ghana.

After completing his sentence, authorities directed that Sharma be deported from Ghana, highlighting the serious legal consequences for foreign nationals involved in currency crimes.

Ghana periodically encounters incidents involving counterfeit currency, posing risks to economic stability and trust in the financial system.

The Bank of Ghana regularly issues public warnings urging businesses and individuals to examine banknotes carefully and report suspected fake currency to law enforcement.

Authorities say that vigilance and strict penalties are essential to deterring the production and circulation of forged money.

Under Ghana’s Currency Act, it is a criminal offence to possess, distribute, or attempt to circulate counterfeit money, with convictions carrying significant prison terms and fines.

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