Kumasi trader fined GH¢12,000 for selling counterfeit Amuzu Bitters with forged tax stamps

A 53-year-old trader from Kumasi has been ordered to pay GH¢12,000 after being found guilty of selling counterfeit Amuzu Bitters and using forged trademark labels and tax stamps. Jeanice Mensah, who operated a shop in Ashtown, pleaded guilty to two charges: dealing in counterfeit regulated products and forging trademarks. If she fails to pay the fine, she faces a two-month custodial sentence with hard labour.

The Asokwa Circuit Court Two, presided over by Madam Vida Achiaa Yeboah, convicted Mensah on her own plea. The court imposed a sentence of 1,000 penalty units for each charge, with the two sentences running concurrently rather than consecutively.

How the counterfeit operation was uncovered

The Amuzu Bitters Company discovered the illegal sales several months before taking action. On February 4, 2026, Prince Nkansah, the company's Operations Manager, and a colleague visited Mensah's Ashtown shop and discovered boxes of suspect counterfeit products. They reported the matter to Manhyia Police Station, leading to Mensah's immediate arrest.

During the raid, police seized 45 cartons of counterfeit Amuzu Bitters, each containing 12 bottles. All the products bore forged Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) tax stamps and counterfeit trademark labels. The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Stephen Ofori, presented evidence that samples sent to both the GRA and the Food and Drugs Authority confirmed the stamps and labels were fake.

Mensah admitted during her caution statement that she owned the products but claimed they had been supplied by a man whose identity she could not reliably provide to police.

Why it matters for Ghana

This case highlights the ongoing challenge of counterfeit goods in Ghana's consumer market, particularly in regulated products like food and beverages. Counterfeit alcoholic drinks and spirits pose genuine health risks to consumers, as manufacturers of fake products typically do not adhere to food safety standards or quality control measures. The involvement of forged GRA tax stamps also indicates tax evasion, depriving the state of legitimate revenue.

The conviction demonstrates Ghana's regulatory agencies and police working together to protect consumers and intellectual property rights. The Food and Drugs Authority's role in authenticating products, combined with police enforcement and court action, forms a critical defence against unsafe counterfeit goods entering the market. However, the case also reveals gaps in the supply chain: Mensah's supplier remains at large, suggesting that counterfeit operations may be more extensive than a single retailer.

For consumers, this case serves as a reminder to purchase branded products only from authorised retailers and to verify authenticity, particularly with premium beverages. For legitimate businesses like Amuzu Bitters Company, it underscores the need for vigilant market surveillance and swift reporting to authorities.