Bank staff arrested for circulating fake currency

A 38-year-old assistant accountant of the Akyem Akokoaso agency of the Akyemmansa Rural Bank, Emmanuel Koomson, has been arrested by the Oda police for allegedly circulating fake currency notes through the bank.

When the bedroom of the suspect was searched, GH¢3,050 in GH¢1 and GH¢5 denominations, as well as 110 South African rands and 10 Namibian dollars, were found hidden under his bed.

Briefing the Daily Graphic at Oda last Friday, the Oda Divisional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ben Atadana said the police had information that fake currency notes were being circulated through the rural bank at Akokoaso.

He said through police intelligent reports, they realised that Koomson was the one who was circulating the fake currency, so they arrested and sent him to the Oda Divisional Police Headquarters on June 26, 2008 to assist in further investigations.

Mr Atadana stated that during police interrogation, Koomson claimed that a friend from Bonwire in the Ashanti region, who sells Kente cloths and who visited him the previous day, left the currency notes in his bedroom without his knowledge.

Koomson told the police that he was employed by the bank about a month ago. According to him he resigned from the Odweanoma Rural Bank at Nkawkaw as a senior clerk about two years ago because the salary was not good.

Meanwhile, the police are processing Koomson for court to be remanded in prison custody to enable them to conduct further investigations into the matter.

Mr Atadana advised anybody with vital information about the source of the fake currency notes to inform the police in order to apprehend such economic saboteurs.

He called on bank managers and senior staff of all banking institutions to exercise strict control over their staff especially cashiers, to prevent the new development in fake currency circulation through the banks.