Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 17 July 2007

Source: GNA

Currency traffickers remanded in police custody

Aflao, July 17, GNA - An Aflao Circuit Court presided over by Group Captain Justice Martin Obeng-Ntim (rtd) on Tuesday remanded two Nigerians alleged to possess fake new Ghana Cedi notes into police custody.

The pleas of Michael Akinniyi Adetayo 35 and Sunday Olaole Ogundeyi 36 charged with conspiracy to possess and possessing fake currency notes, were not taken and would re-appear on August 31.

Officials of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) arrested the two accused persons at the Aflao border at about 0630 hours last Saturday in possession of 11 fake new Ghana cedi notes during a routine examination on them while on their way to Lome, Togo.

CEPS sources said they alleged that they unknowingly acquired the notes when they changed some naira into cedis last Friday in Lome while on their way from Nigeria to Accra and made some shopping and were on their way back to Nigeria when they were arrested.

Meanwhile, personnel of Ghana Police Service and their Togolese counterparts on Monday undertook a joint operation in Lome to verify the claim of the accused that they acquired the fake notes from currency dealers in Lome.

However, they were unable to identify the area and those who changed the money for them.