By Joyce Danso
Accra, Nov.11, GNA – Benjamin Ayidzoe, a Photo Laboratory Technician, has been arrested by the Police for possessing bundles of fake local and foreign currencies at Adenta, Accra.
During a search of Ayidzoe’s house, the Police found a Toyota Saloon car with registration number GR 1830-22, which had money printing machine in it, three “Ghana Must Go” bags full of Ghanaian currency of different denominations suspected to be fake, a large quantity of suspected fake $100 notes, and a blue safe.
They also retrieved 22 shining metals suspected to be fake gold and black pieces of paper cut in the form of currencies.
Ayidzoe appeared before an Accra Circuit Court and charged with two counts of possessing forged currency notes, including bundles of $100 notes.
Ayidzoe, Kingston Jaweah, a 39-year-old administrator, and Foday Kromah, a businessperson, are facing additional charges of conspiracy to wit defrauding by false pretences, defrauding by false pretences, and stealing.
They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah has remanded them into Police custody.
Although their respective counsels prayed for bail, the court declined the request, saying they did not have a permanent place of abode.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Maxwell Oppong opposed the grant of bail on the grounds that investigations were underway.
According to ASP Oppong, the Police would have to send the exhibits for forensic examination, adding that the Police would also have to consult the Bank of Ghana.
He said investigations ought to be extended to Liberia.
The facts as narrated by the prosecution are that the complainant is a student and friend to one Ali Nabil Hamidi, a Brazilian.
The prosecution said Jaweah and Kromah were Liberians and Ayidzoe, a Ghanaian.
It said in November 2022, the complainant’s friend Hamidi travelled to Liberia and bought 10 kg of gold at the cost of $200,000 from one Karama, a friend of Jaweah.
The prosecution said on November 3, this year, the complainant’s friend Hamidi, came to Ghana with the 10kg gold.
When Hamidi arrived in Ghana, he was arrested by an official of the Ghana Immigration Service on the grounds that he was an illegal immigrant and was sent out of the arrival hall.
While the Immigration Officer was speaking to his colleague, Jaweah and Kromah approached Hamidi and told him they were government officials in charge of gold export at the Airport.
Just then, the prosecution said Ayidzoe also arrived at the scene in his car and showed Hamidi gold.
The prosecutor said the three accused persons then succeeded in collecting $5,230 from Hamidi to clear a bill on the 10 kg of gold at the Airport and hand over the gold to a pilot of Emirates Airline to send to Dubai.
The prosecution said the accused persons had asked Hamidi to board the flight to Dubai and that they were going to use the money they had collected to pay for the gold.
When Hamidi arrived in Dubai he did not get the gold and called the complainant who reported the matter to the Police and Jaweah was arrested.
Jaweah mentioned Kramah and Ayidzoe as his accomplices.
The prosecution said on November 7, 2022, Kramah was arrested in his hotel at McCarthy Hills and during a search, $1,002 was found.
It said the same day, Ayidzoe was picked up at the A and C Mall and escorted to his house at Adenta.
The prosecution said the Police had also retrieved $1,800 from Ayidzoe, who said that was his share of the money collected from Hamidi.
GNA