Alidu Gurma, a fake currency dealer, has been remanded by the Dormaa Circuit Court for attempting to transport bundles of pieces of paper cut in the size of the French CFA from Nkrankwanta in Brong-Ahafo to Kaase in the Western Region.
Gurma pleaded guilty and has been placed in prison custody for two weeks to allow the prosecution time to trace his accomplices.
Prosecuting, Detective Inspector Charles Agovi told the court that on February 3 soldiers intercepted a Kaase-bound commercial vehicle and found a wooden box which Gurma claimed ownership of and was asked to open it for inspection.
"When he opened the box pieces of black paper cut into the size of the French CFA were found in it", Inspector Agovi told the court.
He said when Gurma was handed over to the Nkrankwanta police he told them the bundles of paper were to be developed into French Francs and were given to him by one Mohammed in Cote d'Ivoire to be delivered to Amidu at Kaase.
The court slapped a seven-year jail term on Nasiru Musah, a hardened criminal at Nkrankwanta, for unlawful entry and attempted stealing.
Nasiru pleaded guilty.
Police Inspector George Kumah told the court that on March 13 the convict sneaked into a pastor's room and attempted to pick a mobile phone which was lying beside him.
Inspector Kumah said the pastor, who was not asleep, shouted for help.
The convict took to his heels but was arrested by a group of young men.
The prosecutor said the convict confessed his involvement in several criminal offences particularly mobile phone thefts in the area.
The same court also sentenced Kwabena Paul, a 19-year-old unemployed, to seven years imprisonment for conspiring to steal and stealing personal effects belonging to a medical doctor at Dormaa-Ahenkro.
Paul pleaded guilty to two counts of stealing but his accomplice, Samuel Kyeremeh, is on the run.
Chief Inspector Matthew Yeboah told the court that Paul and Kyeremeh broke into the bedroom of the medical doctor at Bronikrom in Dormaa-Ahenkro on December 9, 2009 and stole one lap top computer, a digital camera, one mobile phone and a leather wallet.
He said during police investigations Paul was caught with the digital camera when he sent it for repairs at Dormaa-Ahenkro.
"In the course of his work the repairer saw the photographs of the doctor and his wife on the camera and being aware of the theft case alerted
the police who arrested Paul", the prosecutor said.
Two other accomplices, Emil Nyaka, a photographer who facilitated the sale of some of the items and Emmanuel Boakye, who bought some of the items, are standing trial for abetting crime.