Seven arrested over ‘money bouquets’

Ghanaian authorities have arrested seven people for allegedly using banknotes to make so-called ‘money bouquets’ and decorate cakes. The Bank of Ghana says the practice is illegal and amounts to misuse and improper handling of the cedi, the national currency, reports BBC News. The arrests, carried out in collaboration with the police, followed a tip-off that led to a swoop on the suspects, all women, accused of selling the bouquets in different parts of the capital, Accra. The arrests are the biggest enforcement of the law against misusing the currency. In July, the bank issued a notice warning this could amount to an offence. Bouquets of banknotes or cakes decorated with currency are often ordered as gifts for weddings, birthdays, graduations and other celebrations. Dinah Bonzi, an official in the Bank of Ghana's currency department, said anyone aiding or promoting such activities could also be arrested and prosecuted. The use of money decorations has become more common in Ghana in recent years, with the practice also gaining a foothold in other African countries. In recent years authorities in Kenya, Nigeria, SA and Botswana have also issued warnings against misusing the national currencies.