Alhaji Bandoh denies involvement in fake currency case

Alhaji Ahmed Bandoh, Chief Executive Officer of Bahmed Travel and Tours, has denied allegations that he is part of a fake currency syndicate that was recently busted at the Kotoka International Airport.

A statement signed by Alhaji Bandoh, on Tuesday, and copied to the GNA, said the allegations which were contained in a statement issued Monday by the National Security Secretariat were without basis and libellous.

He had, consequently, directed his lawyers to sue the National Security Secretariat for defamation, he said.

He declared: "I refute the allegations levelled against me for having any involvement with the recent fake currency saga.

"I am not a criminal and I have built my reputation for many years and I would not allow anyone to destroy it.

"I have also not verbally assaulted anyone, let alone the leader of the National Security Operations, as claimed. If they think I have verbally assaulted anybody at the National Security, they should provide evidence from the CCTV cameras at their premises."

He stated that he only accompanied the lawyer of Alhaji Mohammed to the National Security Headquarters after he (Alhaji Mohammed) had been arrested in connection with the printing and distribution of fake currency on Monday, April, 27.

Alhaji Bandoh said they were both prevented from seeing the officer in charge of the operations, "who I later got to know is Colonel Agyeman".

The National Security in its statement to the media said Alhaji Bandoh had claimed to be "a Presidential Staffer at the Castle" and the client of Yassei Alia, a Syrian, who was allegedly involved in the printing of the fake currency.

The statement said that he (Alhaji Bandoh) "drove to the National Security headquarters, verbally assaulted the leader of the operation, and vowed to free the suspects.

"It said the aggressive conduct of Alhaji Bandoh suggested that he might be involved in the deal, particularly, when investigations are ongoing".

The National Security said it busted a 13-member gang involved in the printing and distribution of fake currency notes to unsuspecting victims, mostly foreign nationals.

The gang, allegedly led by one Yassei Alia, a 45-year-old Syrian resident in East Legon, and owner of Hardford Auto Service in Accra, together with Danjuma Zakaria, alias Alhaji Mohammed, 49, and resident of Tema West, were rounded up in a warehouse within the premises of NacCharter Cargo and Freight Company, near KLM offices within the Kotoka International Airport, on Monday, April, 27 at around 1730 hours.

Freshly printed $10,000 bundles of fake $100 notes concealed in two large metal trunks and a suitcase were retrieved from the warehouse.

The statement said the amount was estimated to be over five million United States Dollars (USD).