Three arrested for printing new currency

Tema, July 31, GNA - Nana Yaw, 28 year old, a Phone Dealer, arrested at Ashaiman near Tema for possessing fake Ghana Cedis (GH?), has led the Police to arrest two of his accomplices at (Dodowa in the Dangme West District.

The two are Nana Kofi Twum, a 20-year-old Graphic Designer and Operator of 'Rock Help' Communication Centre at Dodowa and Samuel Zanu, 25.

They have been placed in custody pending investigations and prosecution.

Briefing the media in Tema on Monday, the Deputy Tema Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ransford Ninson, said the Police received information about the circulation of counterfeit notes of the new currency at the Ashaiman Township. He said Police Officers dressed in mufti after investigations offered genuine currency to Nana Yaw in exchange for double the counterfeit notes.

ACP Ninson stated that a thorough check of the fake money, which were in one, five and ten denominations revealed that they all had one serial number, LA5789356 with no hidden water mark of Tetteh Quarshie and the cocoa pod and said apart from they had all of the other security features of the new currency that made it difficult to differentiate the genuine from the fake ones.

He said Nana Yaw told the Police that the counterfeit notes were being printed at a communication centre at Dodowa and led personnel of the Service to arrest Twum and Zanu.

The Deputy Tema Regional Commander said a computer; printer and other equipment as well as 44 notes of GH?5, three GH ?1 and a GH ?10 were retrieved and advised the public to always check the serial numbers and other security features of the new currency notes they handled. Twum told the media that one Agbakor approached him a fortnight ago with a pen drive and asked him to print some of the currency for him to be used for public education on the differences between a genuine and fake.

The suspect said he became interested and stated that had already printed over five million cedis or GH ?500 already in circulation.