The General Overseer of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, has revealed that some “very powerful people with deep pockets” who previously profited from Ghana's illegal gold trade have approached him for assistance in accessing gold through the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM on Monday, August 17, 2026, Duncan-Williams recounted meeting some of the individuals during a trip to the Middle East. He said the people, whom he described as mostly foreign nationals, told him about the substantial profits they had made from gold obtained through illegal mining operations in Ghana.

According to the Archbishop, the individuals claimed that large quantities of Ghanaian gold had entered their country through illegal channels. He said they also indicated that the volume of gold purchased through illegal routes was several times greater than the amount traded through legal channels.

Duncan-Williams said the situation changed following the establishment of GoldBod, which was created to regulate Ghana's gold trade and strengthen the country's control over the purchase and export of gold.

He disclosed that he had subsequently received several phone calls from some of the individuals asking him to intervene and help them obtain access to gold through GoldBod.

The Archbishop said he refused to assist them, explaining that he did not want to become involved in arrangements outside the official procedures of GoldBod.

He said some of the individuals even offered to pay him in US dollars if he could help them gain access to gold through the institution. Duncan-Williams said he rejected such offers.

Instead, he said he sometimes directed the callers to GoldBod officials so that they could learn about the organisation's rules and procedures.

Duncan-Williams also alleged that some foreign nationals involved in the illegal gold trade had previously used Ghanaians as fronts for their activities.

He expressed concern about the amount of money generated through illegal gold mining and said many Ghanaians may not fully understand the scale of the profits being made from the country's natural resources.

The Archbishop further warned about the environmental consequences of illegal mining, particularly its impact on water bodies and agricultural land.

He called on churches and Christians to pray for GoldBod officials, as well as the police and military personnel involved in efforts to combat illegal mining.

However, he stressed that prayer should not replace enforcement of Ghana's laws. Instead, he said prayers should support those responsible for enforcing the law.

Duncan-Williams declined to identify the individuals who allegedly approached him when asked about their names during the radio interview.

His comments come as Ghana continues efforts to regulate the gold sector and tackle illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.

Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams says wealthy individuals who previously benefited from illegally sourced Ghanaian gold have approached him seeking help to access GoldBod. He says he rejected their requests and directed some of them towards official GoldBod channels instead. His comments have highlighted both the scale of Ghana's illegal gold trade and the continuing efforts to bring the sector under tighter regulation.