Fake Cedis For Votes

Fake Money THE National Democratic Congress (NDC), in its quest to snatch political power, is reported to have started dishing out fake currencies to electorate in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital.

This illicit tactic adopted by the largest opposition party is designed at wooing the electorate in the city which is deemed the stronghold of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

DAILY GUIDE learnt that operatives of the NDC initiated the act few days after the first round of the polls which ended in a deadlock.

The NDC functionaries are said to be distributing the fake currency mostly in GH¢5 and GH¢10 notes to eligible voters residing at places where the NPP command huge support.

The NDC's illegality is said to be carried out under the cover of darkness, thereby making it extremely difficult for the unsuspecting electorate to notice that the money is fake.

Among the Kumasi suburbs that the money had found its way are Tafo Nhyiaeso and Tafo in the Manhyia and Tafo Pankrono constituencies respectively.

It is even alleged that at Tafo, some selected NPP supporters were freely given GH¢10 and a new piece of cloth each by the NDC members after which they were made to swear an oath to vote for the opposition party in the run-off.

One Kwasi Andoh, a resident of Tafo Nhyiaeso who confirmed the story, claimed that he was a recipient of the fake money being distributed by the NDC.

He told DAILY GUIDE that “around 7:30 pm on December 15, 2008 which was a Monday, some people who claimed to be NDC top guns approached me and my friends, persuading us to vote for the NDC.

“After the short meeting, they freely gave each one of us GH¢10 and told us to meet them and their leading members for a big package the next day at Dogo Moro Market at Tafo Nhyieaso where the NDC members in the area hold their zonal meetings”.

On the morning of the next day, Andoh added, he realized that the two GH¢5 notes given to him looked a bit clumsy “and after a thorough check on it, I realized it was fake money”.

According to him, since he was billed to travel outside the city for urgent transactions, he could not make it to the later meeting at the Dogo Moro Market, where he was promised a big package.

Andoh noted that when he returned from his trip, he formally lodged a complaint with the Ashanti Regional Commander, DCOP Kwaku Ayesu Opare-Addo at his office at the Central Police Station in Kumasi.

Meanwhile, DCOP Opare-Addo has confirmed the report, indicating that the complainant informed him about it on Sunday December 21, 2008 including an exhibit of the fake GH¢5 notes.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE , he said the complainant, when making the report, alleged that some people believed to be operatives of the NDC gave the fake money to him and his friends at Tafo Nhyiaeso recently.

The Police, DCOP Opare Addo noted, could not readily confirm whether the matter was true or not, promising to launch vigorous investigations to unearth the whole truth.

This, he disclosed, his outfit would do in collaboration with the complainant, stressing that if it was found to be true, the perpetrators would be severely dealt with according to the law.

DCOP Opare-Addo charged Kumasi residents to critically assess monies that come into their hands to verify whether they are fake or not, adding that they should quickly report any incident of fake currency to the Police for swift action.

When contacted, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, the Manhyia MP-elect told this paper that he had information that some leading NDC members in the city were distributing monies to electorate in his constituency to lure them to vote for the NDC in the run-off.

He alleged that the NDC dished out monies to NPP supporters at the Afia Kobi and Moshie Zongo electoral areas, both suburbs of his constituency, on Sunday.

He admonished the electorate never to kowtow to the diabolical mission adopted by the NDC who did absolutely nothing to contribute to Ghana's development during their 19 years in political power.

Reached for his comment, Alhaji Mohammed Sanni, NDC Ashanti Regional First Vice-Chairman refuted the rumour, insisting that so far as he was concerned, no NDC member had issued fake currencies to lure NPP supporters in the city.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., & Morgan Owusu, Kumasi