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Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 4 November 2004

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Fake Printing Syndicate Uncovered

... SFO PROBES AMA, MDAS ? NUMBER OF ARRESTS MADE

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has begun intensive investigations into the activities of certain government agencies whose operations have been affected by a gang believed to be involved in the printing of fake tickets, receipts, booklets and letterheads.

This followed the initial arrest of 15 persons connected to the deals.

Meanwhile twenty-two other officials of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), which is one of the agencies being investigated, have been interdicted and are being investigated for the various roles they are alleged to have played, in conjunction with the syndicate, to deprive the AMA of millions of cedis in revenue.

In an interview in Accra yesterday, an official in charge of crime prevention at the SFO, Mr P. Okie, said it was believed that the gang had links with Officials of the Government agencies affected.

He explained that some officials of the affected agencies normally operated with the fake tickets alongside the genuine ones and pocketed the proceeds.