The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has arrested Queen Amadia, wife of Nana Yaw Duodu, popularly known as Dr Sledge and Chief Executive Officer of Goldridge Refinery Limited, as investigations into alleged financial irregularities surrounding the company continue to widen.
According to security sources, Queen Amadia was picked up at the Accra International Airport on May 12, 2026, while reportedly attempting to leave the country. Her arrest is said to be linked to ongoing investigations involving her husband and Goldridge Refinery’s transactions under programmes managed by the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF).
Authorities have not officially confirmed the full circumstances surrounding her arrest, but close sources within Ghana’s security services indicate that EOCO acted on intelligence as part of a broader probe into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences connected to gold trade arrangements.
The development comes months after Nana Yaw Duodu, widely known as Dr Sledge, was reportedly arrested in September 2025 by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). He is said to have been investigated over alleged irregularities linked to the Gold for Forex and Gold for Oil initiatives, with claims that the state may have incurred losses exceeding US$94 million due to unmet contractual obligations.
Dr Sledge was later reported to have been detained after allegedly failing to meet bail conditions, as investigations intensified into Goldridge Refinery’s dealings with state-linked gold trading programmes.
The OSP has previously identified its inquiry into MIIF operations as one of its high-profile cases. The investigation reportedly spans multiple projects and financial transactions between 2020 and 2024, including Agyapa Royalties, small-scale mining programmes, lithium and gold investments, and various operational expenditures.
Entities said to be under scrutiny include several companies and individuals linked to the gold and mining value chain, with investigators examining contracts, payments, and asset acquisitions connected to MIIF-backed initiatives.
With the arrest of Queen Amadia, investigators are believed to be widening their focus on individuals and entities connected to Dr Sledge’s business network, raising fresh questions about the extent of involvement of associates and family members in the ongoing probe.
EOCO has not yet issued an official statement detailing charges against Queen Amadia, while the OSP continues its parallel investigations into the broader allegations surrounding Goldridge Refinery and related state gold trading programmes.
The case remains under active investigation.
