15 Arrested In Kumasi For Electoral Offences

FIfteen people have been arrested in Kumasi for various electoral offences,including impersonation, violence, creation of confusion and preventing some eligible voters from casting their ballot.

A 72-year-old man whose name was given only as Asare was arrested for allegedly placing a material on a stamp pad at one of the polling stations at Atimatim in the Kwabre West Constituency.

The act was detected by one voter who saw that a material had been placed on the stamp pad, which caused thumb-print on the ballot paper to appear faint.

As soon as the act was detected, many voters came to complain that they realised that their thumbprints were faint on the ballot papers even though they pressed hard on the ink pad.

The 72-year-old man, who was standing around the polling station, was later identified as the person who caused the act and was arrested by the crowd, which attempted to lynch him but for the timely intervention of security personnel.

The resultant confusion at the polling station caused voting to be halted for a while until calm prevailed at the place following security reinforcement.

It was detected that the man had an observer's card, which he told the police was given to him by regional officials of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The Electoral officials, however, detected that the observer's card he was holding was a fake one.

Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, the Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the man had been placed in custody for further investigations but declined to give his name.

In another incident, an electoral official at the Kodie Methodist Primary Polling Station, also in the Kwabre West Constituency, was arrested for electoral malpractice.

The official was said to have stamped a ballot paper on the position of the NDC candidate before giving it to a voter to cast the ballot.

When the voter saw the anomaly, he alerted other officials and the security personnel and the said official was arrested.

In other instances, persons who were said to be creating confusion and preventing some eligible voters from casting their vote were also arrested at various centres.

Among those arrested for creating confusion at polling stations included some political party agents.

Inspector Tanko told the Daily Graphic that after such agents were arrested, they told the police that they were being vigilant in their supervisory roles and by doing so, some people caused the police to arrest them, alleging that they were creating confusion.

The Public Relations Officer said the police were investigating all those cases to find out how authentic the complaints were.

There had been reports of some arrests at Kofiase in the Mampong area, where persons who were said to have attempted to snatch ballot boxes had also been arrested by the police by the time of filing this report.

Again there was a report of the arrest of another EC official at Kumawu for stamping ballot papers before giving them out to voters to cast their vote, but the Police Public Relations officer was unable to confirm it as of the time of filing this report.

At Ashanti New Town, near the Abbey's Park, a young man was beaten up by the crowd. It was alleged that he was hanging around the area with the intention of snatching a ballot box. He was also handed over to the police.

Inspector Tanko said the police were closely monitoring the situation.

Queues started forming at various polling stations at dawn long before election officials arrived with the electoral materials.

In areas such as Santasi, Fankyenebra, Atasemanso, Adiembra, Patasi, South Suntreso and Kwadaso, all in the Nhyiaeso Constituency, where the Daily Graphic visited around 4 a.m, the scene was no different as there were long queues at the polling stations.

The voters explained that they anticipated a higher turnout and that they wanted to be among the first people to cast their ballot so as to  have enough time to do other things during the day.

Jones Bosomtwe, a resident of Anyinam, said he had to travel outside Kumasi, hence his decision to wake up early to cast his ballot.

Like Jones, many voters also said they were up early in order to avoid waiting in the queue for long hours before casting their ballot during the day.

In all the areas visited, voters joined the queues in an atmosphere of calmness and waited for their turn to vote when the polls opened at 7 a.m.

Officials of the Electoral Commission arrived at the polling stations on time and all electoral materials were readily available for a smooth process.

Madam Georgina Nyantakyiwaa of Fankyenebra prayed for a free and fair exercise so as to make the candidates accept the outcome of the verdict.

Mrs Ama Amofa of Santasi said that “God chooses a leader” and, therefore, called on the two candidates to accept the outcome of the election.

“We should be able to accept the outcome of the verdict provided it is free and fair,” she said.

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Serwaa Kobi Ampem, cast their ballot at the Manhyia Palace polling station at 11:45 a.m.

Kumasi was generally calm as the voting got underway.

At the K.O. Osei Assibey polling station, a total of 600 out of 691 persons on the electoral roll had cast their ballot by 1 p.m.

At Asokore Mampong, Asawase and Aboabo, all in the Asawase Constituency, as well as Ashanti New Town in the Manhyia Constituency, voters patiently waited in queues to cast their ballot.

By 9 a.m, the queue at the KTI polling station had diminished and 150 voters out of a total of 722 registered voters had cast their ballot by then.

 
Story by Enoch Darfah Frimpong