A 24-year-old Pembroke man has been fined $500 for possessing counterfeit money.

Appearing in Magistrates’ Court this morning, Zakee Govia pleaded guilty to having 14 fake Bermuda $50 notes in Pembroke on May 29.

Prosecutor Alan Richards told the court that Govia was stopped on a traffic matter and the money was found after a search at Hamilton Police Station.

He was asked if he wanted to pay his $200 fine with the money, but declined and officers then noticed that the notes all had the same serial number.

“I sold this guy a chain and this is the money he gave me,” Govia said.

During an interview, he repeated that the unknown man had given him two real $50 notes along with the counterfeit money, which he recognised to be fake.

He said he kept it to show other people that $50 notes were being counterfeited, adding that he did not alert police because he feared he would get in trouble.

Govia also told the officers that he was not the only person who had received the fake notes.

Mr Richards added that the Bermuda Monetary Authority later confirmed that the notes were counterfeit.

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