Student, two others arrested for possessing fake cedis

Sekondi, July 27, GNA- The Police have arrested a student of Takoradi polytechnic and two others for allegedly possessing fake GH( 5 notes. They are Francis De Graft Amoah, 28, and a final year Higher National Diploma (HND) student in Furniture and Design, Eric Owusu Ansah, 23, construction labourer and Joe Ansah, 28, footballer. Mr Kofi Duku Arthur, Western Regional Police Commander, announced at a press conference before parading the suspects at Sekondi on Friday. He said at about 0820 hours on July 22 this year, a group of market women at the Takoradi Central Market arrested Amoah when he used a fake GHC5 note to buy 30 Gp worth of onions from a small boy at the market. Mr Arthur said the small boy gave the note to a woman at the market to change it into smaller denominations to enable him to give the suspect his change, but she realised that the money was fake. He said the women immediately arrested the suspect and after a search more notes were found on him.

Mr Arthur said Police investigations revealed that Amoah was a friend to Ansah who was also a friend to Mensah and were members of the Great Site Ministry Church in Accra.

He said on July 20 this year, Ansah visited Amoah in Takoradi and told him Mensah had informed him that he knew somebody who could double any amount of the old currency for the new notes (GHC). Mr Arthur said Amoah developed interest in the deal and on July 21 left for Accra with GHC500 (five million cedis) to be doubled. He said Amoah and Ansah met at the mission house of the Great Site Ministry at Fadama in Accra and later met one Alhaji Baba at Accra New Town.

He said the Alhaji took the GHC500 from them and gave him fake 300 pieces of fake GHC5 valued at 10 million cedis in the old currency. Mr Arthur said Amoah brought the fake notes to Takoradi and went to the central market with GH( 53 fake notes to purchase some items and was arrested with the notes and handed over to the Police.

He said when information reached Ansah that Amoah had been arrested, he quickly went to their room at Effiakuma New Site near Takoradi and bolted with the rest of the fake notes. Mr Arthur said on July 23, Amoah led the Police to Accra and Ansah was arrested and GHC125 was retrieved from him. When Ansah's room was searched a total of GHC178 was also retrieved.

He said Ansah alleged that he had already used GHC12 of the fake currency on transport and food. Mr Arthur said all three suspects have appeared before a Sekondi District Magistrate's court and have been remanded into Police custody to re-appear on August 6 this year pending further investigations He said the GHC178 fake currency notes would be forwarded to the Bank of Bank for examination and a search for those responsible for printing the fake currency has been intensified. Mr Arthur appealed to the public to be on the look out for fake currencies in the system and inform the Police.