Mobile phones banned at banks

The Independent says following the spate of crime in Ghana in recent times, the use of mobile phones in the banks appears to have been banned.

The paper quotes sources as explaining that the "Megyina Abonten" status symbol, which took the nation by storm a few years ago for its convenience in use, has been adopted by crooks to monitor bank customers in attempts to rob them. The Independent says its survey in Accra showed that though the possession of mobile phone is allowed in the banking halls of most banks, the phone cannot be operated.

A customer can only receive calls outside the hall. It says a source in one of the security firms guarding banks in Accra said they had detected some months ago that some unscrupulous people were entering banks ostensibly to attend to business. "In reality, they just spied on those who had come to withdraw large sums of money".

The Independent says the crooks, according to the source, then call their accomplices outside the banking halls, giving details of the potential victims, who are trailed and later robbed. The paper says at some branches of the Ghana Commercial Bank, sources indicated that mobile phones could be used in the halls but that the conversation should not be loud.

It says sources at other branches of the bank said though mobile phone use is not allowed, the measure is to maintain a quiet atmosphere and not for security reasons.