Men with fake Ghana cedi notes arrested

Sekondi, Sept. 27, GNA - The Police have arrested Gyamfi Gyimah 24 a welder and Ernest Addo 25, a pineapple seller for allegedly possessing fake five and one Ghana Cedi notes at Sefwi Camp.

Mr Kofi Duku Arthur, Western Regional Police Commander, announced this at a press conference at Sekondi on Thursday. He said two other suspects, Frimpong also known as Joe and Kumoh also known as Kofi escaped.

Mr Arthur said a BMW saloon car with registration number GR 557 C on which the suspects were travelling and driven by Kofi had been impounded.

He said on September 17, the Sefwi Wiawso Police had a tip-off that occupants of the vehicle were possessing fake new Ghana cedis notes. Mr Arthur said the police mounted surveillance and intercepted the vehicle at Sefwi Camp travelling from Kumasi to Sefwi Asawinso. He said the occupants were Gyimah also known as Balaskie, Rashid Iddi, Addo, Joe and Kofi.

Mr Arthur said Gyimah and Addo were arrested but Joe and Kofi escaped, two Nokia cell phones, a NEC cell phone, a mobile phone battery and a bunch of keys were found on the suspects.

He said a search on the vehicle revealed eight bundles of papers cut in the size of five Ghana Cedi notes and another eight bundles cut to the size of one Ghana Cedi notes with genuine five Ghana Cedi and one Ghana Cedi notes placed at both ends of each bundle.

Mr Arthur said during interrogated, Addo said Gyimah introduced him to the distribution of fake Ghana currencies in Kumasi when he (Gyimah) bought one Ghana cedi worth of pineapple from him and paid him with a fake currency.

He said when Addo raised the alarm, Gyimah quickly replaced the money with a genuine note and succeeded in going into terms with him(Gyimah) to get more money to boost his pineapple business. Mr Arthur said Addo a native of Sefwi Asawinso suggested that Gyimah and his accomplices joined him at Sefwi Dwenase with some fake currency notes to be sold to a cocoa purchasing officer who was ready to buy them and on their way they were arrested. He said efforts would be made to arrest the other accomplices.