Court fines illegal lotto operators

Accra, May 17, GNA - Ten Lotto operators and their agents have been fined by a Kumasi Circuit Court for using fake lotto coupons in their operations instead of the approved lotto coupons by the Value Added Tax (VAT) Service. The court, presided over by Mr Ernest Yaw Obimpeh convicted the accused persons, who pleaded guilty, to a total fine of 40 million cedis.

A statement issued in Accra by the VAT Service said accused persons, in default would serve 24 months imprisonment with hard labour each.

They are Ernest Mends, Yaw Gyasi, Lydia Serwah, Kwabena Sammy, David Asante, Kwame Asante, Paul Adjei, James Dontoh, Kofi Kum and Kwasi Addai. VAT officials said the Service had directed that operators, agents and writers used only approved lotto coupons alongside the old approved coupons. Officials of VAT in Accra and Kumasi and some police personnel therefore mounted an operation and found the accused persons using fake lotto coupons. The statement signed by Mr Obeng Ampah, Head of Public Affairs Department, warned lotto operators, agents and writers, it would continue to clamp down on activities of those who used fake coupons.