Three women including a lactating mother suspected to be dealing in fake currency at Obuasi have been arrested and assisted police with the investigation.
The suspects, who according to reports hail from Kumasi, were nearly lynched by angry residents after an attempt to dupe a mobile money vendor at Sanso, a community in the Obuasi municipality.
Speaking on Akoma FM’s current affairs and political show GhanAkoma Tuesday, February 1, Obuasi District Police Commander DSP Martin Asenso explained that the three suspects were on Monday, January 31 arraigned before the Obuasi Circuit Court.
He told the host of the show Aduanaba Kofi Asante Ennin that “the three suspects were granted bail of GH¢5,000 each with two sureties. The trio are still in police custody because they are yet to meet all the bail conditions.”
Mode of operation
DSP Martin Asenso further explained the suspects’ mode of operation that “they always operate at night, so they come with fake currency under the pretense of sending e-cash to a certain number. After sending then they pay the Momo agent with fake currency.”
He entreated all Mobile Money agents to be vigilant and ensure such confident tricksters do not take advantage of them.
Eye witness account
A resident of Sanso, the community where the incident happened, recounted on GhanAkoma that “but for the timely intervention of a unit committee member for the area who rescued the suspects and hid them in his room, the angry residents would have lynched them”.
“It happened over the weekend so I was home. All I heard was noise in the backyard. When I got to the scene, three women were held for allegedly duping a Momo vendor. They had successfully sent GH¢1,500 to a nearby agent, so after they left the agent realized their money was fake so he followed them only to realize they had stopped at another agent trying to dupe him by sending another GH¢1,500. So the agent raised alarm and the residents attacked the suspects then the unit committee member intervened.”
The three suspects have been identified as Eunice Sarfo, 33, Nancy Owusu, 28, and Cecelia Agyeman, 29.
According to DSP Martin Asenso, the trio has been granted bail and the court will be sitting in the case on Monday, February 7.
