Accra (Greater Accra), 22 March ?99 ?

Two businessmen, on Friday appeared before an Accra circuit tribunal charged with attempting to defraud a colleague of 1,870 dollars. Frank Ojukwu and Collins Nweke pleaded not guilty and they were granted ten million cedis bail each to reappear in April 23.

Police chief Inspector Benedicta Akolgo told the tribunal that on November 17, last year, the two accused approached one Maswuud in his house at Tesano and told him that they had a box containing "some dollars". They needed 1,870 dollars to buy a special chemical to turn them into "real US dollars". Mr Maswuud, who became suspicious, rang a friend at Osu R.E. and he was advised to lure them to Osu with the box for the money. When they arrived the friend, who had alerted the police, had them arrested.