Three mobile phone operators face charges for selling pre-registered SIM cards at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra, Ghana.
The SIM cards were fraudulently registered under different Ghana Card holders’ names. Lydia Serwa Akoto, 36, was found with two pre-registered Vodafone SIM cards and 13 pre-registered MTN SIM cards.
Appiah Danquah Ampofo, 46, possessed 19 pre-registered MTN SIM cards and nine pre-registered Vodafone SIM cards. Kwadwo Kyei, 53, had three pre-registered Vodafone SIM cards. They were charged with “knowingly dealing in a pre-registered subscriber identity module or user identity module.”
The accused individuals pleaded not guilty and were granted bail, with their next court appearance scheduled for October 19, 2023.
The police learned of the SIM card sales through intelligence gathered by the Police Intelligence Directorate (PID) of the Ghana Police Service.
A team was deployed to arrest the vendors, resulting in the apprehension of Lydia Serwa Akoto, Appiah Danquah Ampofo, and Kwadjo Kyei. The accused stated that they obtained the SIM cards from agents of various network service providers but were unable to provide detailed information about these suppliers.
Subsequent investigations confirmed that the SIM cards were pre-registered under different individuals’ names without their knowledge. The accused admitted their offenses during interrogations.