The Ejisu District Magistrate Court has issued bench warrant for the arrest of eleven children for failing to show up in court to face charges of gambling.

They are among eighteen minors who were due to appear before the court on Thursday following their arrest in recent separate operations.

Presiding Magistrate, His Worship Eugene Obeng-Ntim, gave the order after the court had convicted seven children and an adult on two counts on gambling and conspiracy to gamble.

They were found guilty on their own plea after pleading guilty , but the court deferred sentence and granted them bail for 2,000 Ghana cedis each, pending social enquiry into their background.

This was after the prosecutor, Detective Inspector Gordon Owusu had told the court that the suspects were arrested on May 2, at about 9:30 pm after they were found gambling at Ejisu Zongo.

The only adult among them, Innusah Musah and the owner of the game machine said to have given his place out for the gambling was convicted on two counts after he pleaded guilty.

Police had surprisingly dropped pornography charges against all the children though it was one of the reasons for their arrest.

They are due back in court next week, pending the outcome of enquiry by the Social Welfare Department in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act.

Section 24 Clause One of Act 653 states “where a juvenile is charged with an offence, the juvenile court shall order a social enquiry report to be submitted to the court which shall be taken into account by the court in the making of an order”.

Meanwhile, His Worship Eugene Obeng-Ntim has warned children in the area to refrain from gambling, considered a serious offence under the National Lotteries Act.

He charges police to go after those who have the penchant for such criminal offences.