Court orders publication of photograph of accused

The Akim Swedru circuit court on Wednesday ordered the police to have the photograph of one Thomas Kweku Ahenkora, alias Agyarko, suspected to be dealing in fake currency notes, published in the dailies to help facilitate his arrest.

The presiding judge, Mr Justice George Kingsley Koomson, gave the order in a case in which Samuel Addo Dankwa, a Cocoa Purchasing Clerk, is facing trial for allegedly using faked 20,000 cedis notes to pay cocoa farmers at Akyem Adwafo in the Birim North District in the Eastern Region.

The Judge was surprised that even though the police have the photograph of Ahenkora who was alleged to have given the fake currency notes to the accused, they have not published it.

The prosecutor, Police Inspector A.K. Osei Nimo brought to the court two new accused persons.

They were Samuel Amoako and Dickson Ansah, both Purchasing Clerks, who had been charged with Dankwa on two counts of abetment of crime and possessing fake currency notes.

They pleaded not guilty and the court discharged Dickson Ansah for lack of evidence while Dankwa and Amoako were remanded to re-appear on June 10.

Mr Nimo told the court that about two months ago, Dankwah together with Amoako, stationed at Akim Adwafo, sought financial assistance from one Baba Mohammed at Kade to buy cocoa.

He said on April 29, Dankwah went to Kade where Mohammed gave him 16.3 million cedis in 2,000 denominations to share with Amoako.

Back at Akim Adwafo, Dankwa gave Amoako 13.42 million cedis out of which 10.2 million cedis were in 20,000 cedis denominations.

Mr Nimo said when Amoako used the 20,000 cedis notes to pay the farmers the money was found to be fake and was arrested and during interrogation, he said it was Dankwa who gave him the money.

When Dankwa was later arrested he mentioned Ahenkora at Akim Aboabo as the one who gave him the 20,000 cedi notes.

The prosecution said all efforts to arrest Ahenkora had proved futile.