Two sub agents of Alpha Lotto, a private lotto company in Accra, and a phone repairer have been remanded into police custody by the Dansoman Circuit Court.
The suspects, Albert Nii Tetteh, Wisdom Kortorshi (both sub-agents), and Richard Osei (a phone repairer), are accused of defrauding their employer of GH₵160,000.
The accused pleaded not guilty to all charges and are set to reappear in court on November 27, 2024.
Defense lawyer’s plea for bail
The defense counsel appealed for bail, emphasizing that the suspects had been in custody for over six days, contrary to the law.
He argued that the suspects had cooperated with the police and would continue to do so if granted bail.
The lawyer described the accused as breadwinners for their families, urging the court to consider their welfare and assure the court they posed no flight risk.
Prosecution’s objection to bail
Opposing the bail request, the prosecutor highlighted the ongoing search for a fourth suspect who remains at large.
He argued that granting bail to the accused could compromise investigations, potentially hindering efforts to apprehend the missing suspect.
Court’s decision
Presiding Judge Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul Baasit sided with the prosecution, ordering that the suspects remain in custody.
However, she urged the police to expedite their investigations to avoid unnecessary delays in the case.
Details of the alleged fraud
The accused allegedly devised a sophisticated scheme to defraud Alpha Lotto.
According to the prosecution, after the National Lottery Authority (NLA) drew winning lotto numbers, the suspects allegedly smuggled fake winning booklets into sealed bags containing legitimate stakes.
They allegedly inserted fraudulent stakes bearing the winning numbers into the bags, making it appear as though the numbers had been staked legitimately before the draw.
Osei, the phone repairer, is accused of physically inserting the fake stakes into the sealed bags.
Fraudulent gains
The prosecutor revealed that the suspects allegedly defrauded the company of GH₵70,000 in the first incident and GH₵90,000 in a second.
The GH₵70,000 was reportedly shared as follows: Albert Nii Tetteh-GH₵20,000, Richard Osei-GH₵20,000 and Wisdom Kortorshi-GH₵30,000
They allegedly shared the GH₵90,000 in a similar manner.
The scheme unraveled when the suspects allegedly attempted to claim GH₵300,000 for another supposed win, prompting Alpha Lotto’s management to report the matter to the police.
Admissions and Plea
According to the prosecution, the suspects admitted to the crime in their caution statements.
However, during their court appearance, they pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The case remains under investigation, with the court expected to reconvene later this month to review its progress.
