Five remanded for printing GH¢2.3 million and $191,900 fake notes

Five people have been arrested in connection with the printing of fake GH¢200 and $100 notes, totaling GH¢2.3 million and $191,900, respectively. 

The accused persons, who appeared before an Accra Circuit Court on Friday, are Shubham Sharma, James Mozu Bonaparte, a graphic designer, Prince Owusu Ahenkorah, a photographer/video director, Jonathan Kwame Appiah and Solomon Adjetey Adjei, both graphic designers. 

The five, jointly charged with conspiracy to commit crime, were nabbed at various locations in Accra. 

Sharma, Bonaparte and Ahenkorah are facing the same charge of possession of forged notes, while Appiah and Adjei are facing a charge of producing forged notes. 

The court, presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah, did not take their pleas and remanded them into custody to reappear July 3, 2025. 

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Wisdom Alorwu, prayed the court to remand the accused persons pending further investigations. 

The Ghana News Agency reports that the complainant was an Accra based businessman (name withheld). 

The accused persons were picked up following intelligence on June 16, 2025. 

Sharma, the first accused person, is alleged to have stolen money worth $230,000 from the Accra-based businessman’s safe in his bedroom after embezzling his company money. 

Police investigations showed that Sharma replaced the stolen money with fake Ghana notes and US dollars. 

A search on the cash office of the company at Adabraka, Industrial Area, led to the discovery of fake GH¢200 notes totaling GH¢2,318,000 and $100 dollar notes totaling $191,900. 

Sharma is alleged to have admitted keeping those fake notes in the office. 

Police investigations also revealed that Sharma paid Bonaparte GH¢25,000 for the fake Ghana notes and GH¢15,000 for the fake dollars. 

Investigations revealed that Bonaparte and Ahenkorah conspired to supply Sharma with the money. 

Security personnel, during a search on Ahenkorah, led to the retrieval of five bundles of the fake GH¢200 notes.  

When Ahenkorah was questioned, he mentioned Appiah as his accomplice, and that Appiah, the manager of the printing press, supervised the printing of the fake notes. 

Appiah also led the police to arrest Adjei, who was alleged to have handed over the fake notes to Ahenkorah.