Mary Kortey, a 33-year-old woman also known as Akweley, narrowly escaped being lynched by angry traders at the Assin Fosu New Market after she was allegedly caught using counterfeit money.
She was saved by the swift intervention of the police.
Mary, who claims to be from Kwashieman in Accra, is currently in police custody assisting with investigations. Traders say she attempted to buy foodstuffs and other items using fake GH¢100 and GH¢200 notes.
According to eyewitnesses, several traders later discovered they had received similar fake notes from her, leading them to confront and beat her. She was reportedly assaulted severely before police officers arrived to disperse the crowd and rescue her.
A search on the suspect uncovered GH¢1,900 in counterfeit notes.
Some traders said this is not the first time fake currency has circulated on market days, raising doubts about Mary’s claims of innocence.
According to sources, upon her arrest, Mary pretended to be mentally unstable, undressing and behaving erratically at the police station—an action believed to be an attempt to evade prosecution.
The Assin Fosu District Crime Officer, ASP Rosemond Duncan, said during initial interrogation, the suspect claimed the counterfeit notes were given to her by her boyfriend, identified only as Evans, a Nigerian national who is currently on the run.
Police have launched a full-scale investigation into the incident.