Court orders arrest of eight AMA Staff

Accra, Feb. 23, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court on Wednesday ordered the arrest of eight ex-Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) revenue collectors, who abetted with two persons to circulate fake assembly market tolls tickets in the Metropolis.

They include Lucy Sarkodie-Addo, Rosemond Bruce, Naomi Aryitey and Mercy Osei.

The others are Lydia Boye, Rebecca Mensah, Nartey and one Eric. Two of their accomplices, Owusu Ankobea Attah, a Printer and John Afful Larbi, a Businessman, appeared before the Court.

Attah was charged with abetment of crime, while Larbi was charged with conspiracy, forgery of document and possessing forged documents. They pleaded not guilty and the Court admitted them to 50 million cedis bail each with a surety each to reappear on February 10.

The case of Prosecuting Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Patrick K. Frimpong was that security personnel received information that a printing press within the Metropolis had been engaged in printing fake government value documents which were in circulation.

The Prosecution said a team of Policemen and staff of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) mounted an operation and arrested Attah at Amros Printing Press at Mamprobi with a seal machine used in embossing, a quantity of AMA market toll tickets and nine AMA rubber stamps. When Attah was interrogated, he admitted the offence and mentioned Larbi as the one who produced AMA toll tickets for numbering and embossment.

On October 29, 2004, Larbi was arrested at his hideout at Amanfro, near Kasoa.

Larbi admitted owning the seal-stamping machine and mentioned eight staff of the AMA as his accomplices, who bought his fake market toll tickets and issued them to unsuspecting traders. Larbi's accomplices, who are on interdiction, are on the run and the Police are making frantic effort to arrest them.