Accra: Five individuals have been apprehended for their alleged involvement in the production of counterfeit GHC200 and $100 notes, amounting to a total of GHC2.3 million and $191,900, respectively. The accused parties, who appeared before an Accra Circuit Court, include Shubham Sharma, who served as a general manager, James Mozu Bonaparte, a graphic designer, Prince Owusu Ahenkorah, a photographer/video director, along with Jonathan Kwame Appiah and Solomon Adjetey Adjei, both working as graphic designers.
According to Ghana News Agency, the five suspects have been jointly charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and were apprehended at different locations within Accra. While Sharma, Bonaparte, and Ahenkorah face charges of possessing forged notes, Appiah and Adjei are charged with uttering forged notes. Presiding over the case, Mr. Samuel Bright Acquah ordered the suspects to be remanded in custody, with their plea yet to be recorded. The accused are set to reappear in court on July 3, 2025.
Chief Inspector Wisdom Alorwu, leading the prosecution, requested the court to hold the suspects in custody to allow for further investigation. The case unfolded after an Accra-based businessman, whose name has not been disclosed, lodged a complaint on June 16, 2025. Investigations revealed that Sharma allegedly stole $230,000 from the complainant’s safe, substituting it with counterfeit currency.
Police searches at a cash office in the Adabrakah Industrial Area uncovered fake GHC200 notes totaling GHC2,318,000 and $100 notes amounting to $191,900. Sharma reportedly confessed to storing the counterfeit currency in the office. Further investigations disclosed that Sharma had compensated Bonaparte with GHC25,000 for the fake Ghana notes and GHC15,000 for the counterfeit US dollars, with Bonaparte and Ahenkorah allegedly conspiring to supply Sharma with the bogus money.
Security officials discovered five bundles of fake GHC200 notes on Ahenkorah during their search. Under questioning, Ahenkorah implicated Appiah, suggesting that Appiah, who managed the printing press, was responsible for overseeing the production of the counterfeit currency. Appiah subsequently led authorities to Adjei, who was accused of delivering the counterfeit notes to Ahenkorah.