Kumasi, March 14, GNA - A Kumasi circuit court, presided over by Mr Ernest Yao Obimpeh, has imposed fines totalling 15 million cedis on five people for operating lotto illegally.

In default, they would each serve two years in jail.

Yaw Paddy, John Atanga, Yaw Owusu, Michael Amponsah and Kwabena Oduro all pleaded guilty and were each fined three million cedis. Police Chief Inspector John Afful told the court that they were arrested during police routine patrols at the Adum railways, Rex cinema, Roman Hill and Oforikrom areas in Kumasi.

He said the police detected that lotto coupons they were selling to the unsuspecting staking public were fake and that they themselves had printed the coupons.