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Bachir Aminuo, a passenger, who was arrested with 656 automated teller machine (ATM) debit cards at Kotoka International Airport has been taken into custody by an Accra circuit court.
Police investigations revealed that 656 ATM debit cards with different names issued by eight Nigerian banks and one Ghanaian bank respectively were found on him.
Aminuo, a Nigerien accused of electronic trafficking and theft, has pleaded not guilty.
The court chaired by Ms. Evelyn Asamoah placed the accused in lawful detention for his reappearance on October 11.
The prosecution before presenting the fact vehemently opposed the granting of bail, claiming that Aminuo was at risk of absconding and that he had no fixed abode.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (ASP) Fuseini Yakubu said given the gravity and severity of the sentence if convicted by the court.
According to the ASP, the accused Yakubu would not appear to be on trial when he was released on bail.
He therefore requested the court to place the accused in police custody as part of the investigation.
The accused’s lawyer, however, asked the court to admit his client on bail as he had been detained for 12 days.
According to the defense lawyer, the basic human rights of the accused had been violated as a result of the number of days the police kept him.
The lawyer argued that the accused was arrested on September 12 of this year.
The court, after listening to the defense lawyer and the prosecution, confirmed the prosecution’s prayer.
The prosecution led by ASP Yakubu said Aminuo was arrested at KIA for possession of 656 ATM debit cards with different names.
During questioning, the prosecution stated that the accused stated that the ATM cards were given to him by a certain Rabiu Suleiman based in Kano State, Nigeria, to be handed over to a certain Baffa Bawarije, a Nigerian based at the Daira Night City Hotel, Dubai.
ASP Yakubu said preliminary investigations revealed that on September 12 of this year, the accused was arrested while boarding Ethiopian Airline E.T90 en route to Dubai.
The prosecution said that during the search of the accused, 656 ATM debit cards with different names were issued by eight Nigerian banks and one Ghanaian bank respectively.
Again, the accused had $ 12,000 with him, the prosecution said.
ASP Yakubu said further investigations showed that the accused first visited Ghana on April 29 this year, via the Aflao border, and left for Dubai on May 26 of This year.
“The accused’s second visit to Ghana took place on August 20 of this year and was arrested on the day he left for Dubai,” the prosecution told the court.
GNA
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