Criminals Now Targeting Churches and Mosques for Money Laundering — Attorney-General, GIABA and FIC Warn

By Samuel Asamoah

Ghana’s Attorney-General and anti-money-laundering authorities have raised alarm over growing evidence that criminals are exploiting churches, mosques, and other faith-based organisations as safe channels for laundering illicit funds and financing terrorism across West Africa.

At a high-level sensitisation seminar held in Accra, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Hon. Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine — represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa — cautioned that the trust-based operations of religious bodies have made them vulnerable to financial abuse by criminal networks.

“Faith-based institutions are sacred spaces meant to promote peace and righteousness,” she said. “Yet, because of their trusted nature, they can be exploited to disguise or transfer illicit funds when safeguards are weak or absent.”

The seminar was jointly organised by the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC). It brought together leaders from major Christian and Muslim organisations, including the Catholic Church, Methodist Church, Pentecostal and Charismatic Councils, the Office of the National Chief Imam, Ahmadiyya, and Ahlussunna Missions.

Mrs. Obuobisa said the Government of Ghana remains committed to implementing international anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) standards through the Anti-Money Laundering Act (Act 1044), the Anti-Terrorism Amendment Act (Act 875), and the Corporate Insolvency and Restructuring Act (Act 1015). However, she warned that “the most sophisticated laws will remain ineffective if faith-based institutions are unaware of their role in enforcement.”

She urged religious organisations to introduce internal control systems such as proper bookkeeping, donor verification, internal audits, and reporting mechanisms for suspicious transactions. “By instituting transparency and accountability, you protect not only your institutions but also your faith and communities,” she emphasised.

Delivering a message on behalf of GIABA’s Director-General, Mr. Edwin W. Harris Jr., Mr. Timothy Melaye from the GIABA Secretariat said the influence and moral authority of religious leaders make them critical allies in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. He warned that criminals are exploiting the credibility of religious groups to launder proceeds from crimes such as corruption, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and kidnapping.

“This programme is a clarion call on all of us to play our roles in ensuring a peaceful, secure, and economically viable region through the instrumentality of religion,” Mr. Harris said. He described the rising trend of violent extremism in West Africa as a major threat to development and called for a “moral rebirth” led by religious figures who promote honesty and social responsibility.

Mr. Harris also reiterated GIABA’s commitment to deepening collaboration with faith-based organisations, recalling that the agency has been engaging religious leaders since 2011 to build their capacity in detecting and preventing illicit financial flows.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), Mr. Kofi Boakye, who represented the FIC’s National Correspondent, said Ghana continues to face “medium-level” threats of money laundering, citing high-risk areas such as real estate, gold trade, virtual assets, and non-governmental organisations.

He explained that religious bodies are often targeted because their financial operations are largely informal and cash-based. “In the church or mosque, illicit funds can easily be mixed with normal donations, making it difficult to trace their origin,” he said. “Funds presented as ‘gifts,’ ‘tithes,’ or ‘project funding’ instead of recorded payments, and the use of anonymous or third-party donors, are classic laundering tactics.”

Mr. Boakye said the FIC is strengthening Ghana’s compliance framework ahead of its next mutual evaluation under the GIABA regime, noting that collaboration with civil society, law enforcement, and the media remains essential.

The seminar concluded with a renewed commitment by government agencies and faith leaders to transform religious institutions from potential targets into strongholds of financial integrity.

“Let your integrity — not loopholes — define your ministry,” Mrs. Obuobisa urged.

The event marked a significant step in Ghana’s national effort to strengthen financial transparency within the religious sector and reinforce the country’s role in the regional fight against financial crime and terrorism financing.