'Black dollar' couple in court
2003-03-17 14:47
Nelspruit - A couple claiming the United States government has invented a way to disguise its cash bills to prevent sea pirates and plane hijackers from stealing aid money meant for Africa have appeared in court on fraud charges.
Salulu Mauwa, 23, and Nyamitsa Silvester, 21, of Maputo were not asked to plead on Monday in Nelspruit magistrate's court in Mpumalanga and were remanded in custody until Wednesday so that their lawyer could produce their passports.
The two were arrested at a Nelspruit estate agency last Monday while allegedly demonstrating to the manager and some employees how the black bills worked.
The black pieces of paper are said to be undeveloped or coded bills that need a chemical to convert them into their "true" form, or cash.
The couple allegedly planned to sell the black sheets of paper, with a "street" value of R1.5m.
Police confiscated the paper, black ink, a syringe containing the "chemical", as well as original US$10 and US$20 notes. - African Eye News Service