Former 'banker to banker' operators trained by NLA

An Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday discharged eleven illegal lottery operators, popularly known as ‘banker to banker operators’.

The eleven, who were part of 17 persons arrested during a swoop in Sunyani in the Brong-Ahafo Region, were discharged on the grounds that they would not revert to the sale of ‘banker to banker’ lotto.

At a media briefing in Accra, Maame Kesewaa Dolphin, Corporate Communications Manager of National Lottery Authority (NLA), said two of the former ‘banker to banker’ lotto operators who have undergone training at NLA’s Lotto School, have been regularized as retailers.

She said the two Janet Kisiwa and Dennis Kwesi Boakye, claimed that they believed obtaining a Point of Sale Terminal (POST) from NLA was cumbersome process.

The Corporate Communications Manager said the two in their excitement urged their colleagues still in the ‘banker to banker’ business to desist from that practice and join the NLA to enjoy prompt payment of commissions.

Brigadier General Martin Ahiaglo (Rtd), the Director General of National Lottery Authority, commended the new recruits for coming on board to help contribute to national development.

He said the NLA does not take delight in prosecuting culprits, adding that, “this is why the accused persons were given the opportunity to be trained and given the NLA POSTs so they can sell lotto the right way.”

In another development, another seven accused persons who were also arrested in Accra in various swoops have also been regularized.

The court ordered that monies retrieved from the accused persons totaling GHC 6,155.00 during the swoop be used by the discharged persons to augment the retail of lotto on the POSTs allocated to them.

The operation was conducted by the NLA in conjunction with the Ghana Police Service.