No show at fake dollar trial

Yesterday an Accra Circuit Court could not continue with the hearing of the case involving two foreign nationals arrested with a trunkload of fake dollars.

The suspects, Mohammed Bassim, 35, Tunisian and Adekunle Morufdeen, 52, Nigerian, were arrested by the SWAT Unit of the Police Service at Mile 7 near Achimota in Accra following an intelligence report.

The two were apprehended with a trunk full of unspecified bundles of 100 dollar notes stashed in a Toyota Corolla with registration number GR 5225-13.

Mohammed and Morufdeen have however denied ownership of the money.

On their arrest, the suspects claimed they were sent by someone whose name they could not tell the police.

The suspects have been charged with the offence of possessing fake currency, a charge they have pleaded not guilty to.

However, at the trial of the case in the court presided over by Mrs Abena Adjin-Doku yesterday, the case could not be heard although the prosecutor, Aidan Derry, and the accused persons were in court.

Though no reasons have so far been given for the adjournment, many are wondering if the adjournment had anything to do with the power outage at the Cocoa Affairs Court yesterday.

The interior of the court was dark while prosecutors and lawyers in their suits had no option than to fan themselves with anything they could lay their hands on including their files.

This may have necessitated the adjournment of the case to December 8, 2014.

The two accused persons have however been granted bail in the sum of GH¢20,000 with three sureties each.

They are also to report to the police on Thursdays as part of their bail conditions.

The suspects are also to deposit their passports with the registry of the court until the determination of the matter.

On the part of the sureties of the bail, they are also to provide valid Identity Cards before executing the bail.