Michael Boateng Sunyani
26 August 2008
The Wenchi Police in the Brong Ahafo Region has arrested, Mr. Augustine Fordjour, an Electoral Officer at the Banda Electoral Area, for allegedly registering voters after the nationwide exercise embarked upon by the Electoral Commission, had come to an end. The police were also questioning the Electoral Officer for the Tain District, Rudolf Cherie, who allegedly instructed his subordinate to carry out the exercise.
Augustine Fordjour was initially arrested by the Nsawkaw Police, and later handed over to the Wenchi Police for interrogation, where he told them that the Tain District Electoral Officer instructed him, to embark on the exercise.
Rudolf Cherie later reported to the Wenchi Police Command, and confirmed that he sent Augustine Fordjour on the mission, not necessarily to undertake a fresh registration exercise as alleged, but to go to the areas and identify those who took part in the registration exercise but were not given their Voters' Identity Cards, due to a shortage of materials.
The Wenchi Divisional Commander of Police, Superintendent Kwame Nkrumah Akomeah, told The Chronicle that Augustine Fordjour was arrested in possession of registration materials belonging to the EC.
According to the police boss, Mr. Cherie claimed the materials, which were found with Augustine, were "Poll Books", which were to be used to take the data of the applicants, before it was transferred into the registration books, but unfortunately due to time constraints it could not be used.
Superintendent Akomeah said the two had been granted police enquiry bail, adding that there was not enough evidence to prosecute them for now, and that police were still investigating the case.
He, however, appealed to the constituents to assist the police in their investigations, if they could provide clues as to the people who were registered by Augustine Fordjour, after the nationwide exercise had ended.
Meanwhile, a group, describing itself as the Concerned Youth of Tain, has appealed to the Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, to fully investigate and punish both Rudolf and Augustine, if found guilty of the offence.
In a statement, issued and signed by the President, Patrick Asante, and Secretary, Stedman Agyei, the youth are demanding the removal of the District Electoral Officer, Rudolf Cherie, from his position, since his involvement in the alleged malpractice, would raise doubts about his neutrality in the elections.
According to the concerned youth, the removal of the District Electoral officer would restore the confidence of the electorate in the Electoral Commission.
The Concerned Youth of Tain Constituency claimed the position by the police, that there was not enough evidence to prosecute the accused persons, was just a ruse to water down the case.
According to them, the stand of the police was not a surprise to them, because of an earlier pronouncement by the Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Seth Oteng, that the Regional Electoral Officer was manipulating the police to seek an out of court settlement.
The Youth pleaded with the Electoral Commission, to address the problem within two weeks, to restore the confidence of the electorate in the electoral process.
But Superintendent Akomeah was disappointed at the statement of the Concerned Youth, alleging the police had allowed itself to be manipulated.
He said Augustine Fordjour was not caught in the act, and nothing showed that he had registered fresh people, as the materials in his possession had nothing on them to prove that he truly registered people in those areas.
Superintendent Akomeah continued that the police could not have detained the two suspects for more than 48 hours, without preferring charges against them, and that the public should exercise patience and assist the police in their quest to ascertain the truth.
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