Court orders arrest of two currency counterfeiters

An Accra Circuit has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of two suspected currency counterfeiters.

The two, Zuwela Alhaji, 30, and Abba Haruna, 33, allegedly defrauded a scraps dealer by exchanging 28 bundles of fake 100-dollar notes for GHC 15,960.

The warrant was issued because the duo failed to appear before the court when the case was called.

Zuwela and Ibrahim Halidu, a couple, have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and possessing forged currency.

Zuwela, unemployed, has additionally been charged with defrauding by false pretence.

Abba Haruna, who is also unemployed, has been charged with compounding crime.

Ibrahim Halidu, a 58- year- old unemployed has been granted bail by the court.

The court presided over by Mr Isaac Addo admitted Halidu to bail in the sum of GHC 50,000 with two sureties one to be justified.

Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer said the complainant Bukari Mukaila is a scrap dealer at Galaway, Accra but resides in Kasoa in the Central Region.

The prosecution said Zuwela, a housewife, resides at Nsuano, Kasoa., whilst Halidu, a mechanic is a landlord also at Kasoa.

It said on May 27, 2023, Mukaila was at work when Zuwela approached him with 28 bundles of 100-dollar bills with the explanation that she urgently needed GHC 15,960 to transact a business deal but did not have the time to change the Dollars into Ghana cedis.

The prosecution said Zuwela pleaded with the complainant to keep the dollars and give her Ghana cedis, with the promise of returning the Cedis to him in exchange for her dollars later the same day.

It said Zuwela failed to return the GHC 15,960 for her dollars. The complainant became alarmed and examined the Dollars which he then suspected to be counterfeited currency.

On May 30, 2023, the complainant traced Zuwela to her house where he met Halidu who disclosed that the Dollar bills belonged to him, but he did not know how Zuwela took them from his room.

The prosecution said Halidu collected the Dollar notes from the complainant and advised him “not follow the money to get into trouble.”

It said the complainant took one of the dollar notes for evidential purposes.

On June 2, 2023, the complainant reported the matter to the Police and Zuwela and Halidu were arrested in the presence of Haruna.

The prosecution said while the two accused persons were being escorted to the Police Station Halidu called Haruna to bury the money, which he did.

It said the money was later unearthed and handed over to the Police.

During interrogation, Zuwela told the Police that the money belonged to Halidu and that he (Halidu), her husband, asked her to change the fake currency for Ghana cedis to unsuspecting victims so they could share the proceeds.

The prosecution said the exhibits had been forwarded to the Bank of Ghana for examination and the Police were awaiting the results.