A 53-year-old trader has been fined GH¢12,000 by the Asokwa Circuit Court Two after she was found dealing in counterfeit Amuzu Bitters products bearing forged trademarks and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) tax stamps.
Jeanice Mensah was convicted on her own plea after admitting to charges of dealing in counterfeit regulated products and forging trademarks.
The court, presided over by Madam Vida Achiaa Yeboah, imposed 1,000 penalty units on each of the two charges. The sentences are, however, to run concurrently.
Mensah will serve two months’ imprisonment with hard labour if she fails to pay the fine.
The case came to light after management of Amuzu Bitters Company received information that Mensah was allegedly selling fake versions of its products.
According to the prosecution, the company conducted preliminary investigations before its Operations Manager, Prince Nkansah, and another staff member visited Mensah’s shop at Ashtown in Kumasi on February 4, 2026.
At about 2:20 p.m., they reportedly found several boxes of products suspected to be counterfeit and subsequently reported the matter to the Manhyia Police Station.
Police arrested Mensah and retrieved 45 cartons of the suspected fake Amuzu Bitters from her possession. Each carton contained 12 bottles, with the products carrying labels and GRA tax stamps purported to be those of the genuine brand.
The police subsequently submitted samples of both the genuine and suspected counterfeit products to the GRA and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for authentication.
Reports from the two institutions confirmed that the tax stamps and trademark labels found on the seized products were counterfeit.
During investigations, Mensah admitted ownership of the products but told police that she had received them from a man whom she claimed she could identify if she encountered him.
She was, however, unable to provide investigators with sufficient information to facilitate the supplier’s arrest.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Stephen Ofori, said the investigations subsequently led to Mensah being charged and brought before the court.
The conviction highlights the legal consequences of trading in counterfeit regulated products and using forged trademarks and official tax stamps on commercial goods.
