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 in Ayidzoe’s house, the Police found a Toyota Saloon car with registration number GR 1830-22, which had money printing machine, 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 that was showed to the complainant.
They also retrieved 22 shining metals suspected to be fake gold and black pieces of paper cut in the form of currencies.
Appearing before an Accra Circuit Court, Ayidzoe has been charged with two counts of possessing forged currency notes including bundles of $100 notes.
Ayidzoe, Kingston Jaweah, a 39-year-old administrator, 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.
It held that due to the felonious nature of the charges, the facts, the fact that the accused persons did not have a fixed place of abode and the fact that the matter was under investigation, it would remand them in police custody.
Although their respective counsels prayed for bail, the court declined the request.
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.
Prosecution said Jaweah and Kromah are Liberians and Ayidzoe is 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.
Thye 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 a colleague, Jaweah and Kromah approached Hamidi saying they were government officials in charge of gold export at the Airport.
Again, the prosecution said the accused told Hamidi that they would process it before it could be sent to Dubai.
From nowhere, 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 who would in turn send it to Dubai.
The prosecution said the accused persons asked Hamidi to board the flight to Dubai and they were going to use the money they 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 the name of Kramah and Ayidzoe.
Prosecution said on November 7, 2022, Kramah was arrested in his hotel at McCarthy Hills and during a search $1,002 was found.
The prosecutor said the same day, Ayidzoe was picked up at the A and C Mall and was escorted to his house at Adenta.
When his home was searched, the Police found a Toyota Saloon car with registration number GR 1830-22 which had money printing machine, three “Ghana Must Go” bags full of Ghana currency of different denominations suspected to fake, a large quantity of suspected fake $100 notes, a blue safe which was showed to the complainant.
The Police also retrieved 22 shining metals suspected to be fake gold and black pieces of papers cut in the form of currencies were retrieved.
Prosecution said the Police also retrieved $1,800 from Ayidzoe who said that was his share of the money he and his accomplice collected from Hamidi.