The accused, Ranford Anthony Arthur, is standing trial for using the ATM card which he allegedly stole with its default PIN to withdraw a total of GH¢12,000.00.

The money was withdrawn in batches of GH¢2,000. He is also accused of taking a picture of the voter’s identification card of the pastor and using it to acquire a Vodafone SIM card, registering a mobile money account in the name of the pastor, and using it to solicit funds from the followers of the pastor online.

He has been charged with eight counts including stealing, defrauding by false pretence and forgery of documents at a hearing, presided over by Mrs Juliet Osei Deudo.

He pleaded not guilty and has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢ 18,000.00 with two sureties.

The case has been adjourned to July 15, 2021.

Facts of case

Presenting the facts of the case, Chief Inspector Kenneth Niyennu told the court that the pastor of the Restore Prayer Partners, an online and radio prayer group, went to his bank together with the suspect to take delivery of an ATM Visa card with the default PIN.

The pastor kept the Visa card and the default PIN in his car and it is suspected Mr Arthur took it, activated the PIN and started using it to withdraw money on the blind side of the pastor.

Investigations by the police and the Financial Crime Management Department of Fidelity Bank showed that Mr Arthur used the Visa card to make six separate withdrawals of GH¢ 2,000 each. The withdrawals were done on March 16, 22 and 26, 2021.

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Restore Prayer Partners

Mr Arthur is further accused of publishing the mobile number registered in the name of the pastor on social media platforms and started soliciting for money from followers of the Restore Prayer Partners claiming the proceeds would be used for evangelism.

When the pastor was alerted about the use of his name to solicit for money from his followers he used a radio announcement to warn his followers to ignore the person behind that act.

On March 26, 2021, the pastor received an alert from his bankers on the withdrawal of Gh¢2,000 from the account and he reported to the bank leading to the arrest of the accused, who was captured in the bank’s Closed-Circuit Camera installed at all ATM outlets.

Upon his arrest, Mr Arthur told the police he used the money he withdrew with the ATM card to support his siblings’ education, buy a sofa for his room and also buy some food items.

When the police searched Mr Arthur’s room, the ATM card was found hidden under a carpet while the Vodafone sim card was also found hidden under the sofa.

Two days after he had been charged with the offence and granted police enquiry bail, Mr Arthur went to the police and submitted another statement in which he denied knowledge of the offence.

The gentleman’s action is probably his own way of responding to the campaign against the spread of coronavirus.

Health experts say one way to avoid being infected by the virus is to avoid touching surfaces and touching of the face.

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 In an instagram video, the guy who seen wearing a t-shirt and cap took his time to punch the keys with the stick while others stood back in a queue for their turn.

An unidentified lady who might have taken the video and could not control herself was heard laughing in the background at the sight of the hilarious moment as she questioned the action of the young man.

Watch the video below:

According to him, Ghana girls aren’t prostitutes like some people think but rather the system in the country doesn’t favor them to attain Jobs or have access to less expensive secondary and tertiary education.

This situation, the Ayi (Azonto Ghost) hit maker claims have resulted women to the tradition of seeing Ghanaian men as nothing than ATM devices – unattended machine that dispenses money when a personal coded card is used.

“Ghana girls are not Ashawo like we think, it’s the system, no jobs, school is expensive, tradition says men have to take care of women, so therefore…Men became ATm machines, Then came Mobile Money after ATM! #SituationAboutTheCondition #AmGBUSINESS”…” he posted on his Facebook wall.

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