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18.04.2015 General News

BNI Denies Torture Charge

By Daily Guide
Stephen ForsonStephen Forson
18.04.2015 LISTEN

The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) has denied torturing Stephen Forson, software developer and Managing Director of IPRO Solutions, following his arrest recently over his suspected role in skewing the results of elections by the university of Ghana SRC.

In a reaction on the subject, the BNI explained that 'he was taken from his residence by our officers on the morning of 14 April at about 6am following reports received; we are still continuing our investigations and once it is done, will forward the docket to the Attorney Generals department for advice.'

The media were awash early last week with a report about Stephen Forson's arrest from his residence and his subsequent detention at the BNI offices in Accra during which his wife claimed she was denied access to him.

Although the suspect was released late Thursday, he has told Joy FM that his arrest was politically-motivated, something the security agency disagrees to.

The BNI claims to have acted swiftly when it received a report about an unfolding breach of security on the campus over the suspected manipulation of the election results.

Continuing, the agency stated it acted to protect national security and would as it put it, 'bring closure to the electronic voting system at the centre of the controversy.'

The BNI has also discounted it had any special interest in the matter, besides probing the suspected manipulation of ballots used in the polls and to ensure fair play in the elections.

Explaining the circumstances leading to its involvement in the matter, the BNI pointed out that the confusion which arose over who genuinely won the election between Davies Ohene Fobi and Mikdad Mohammed triggered a series of demonstrations and an eventual report to its offices by one of the candidates.

Initial findings, the BNI explained, suggested that the software used for the exercise had been tampered with by a yet-to-be-identified person.

Joy News indicates that the Bureau retrieved six laptop computers used as servers in the said election for examination. A practical demonstration was carried out on a personal laptop provided by the suspect in the presence of his father George Amoah Baiden the report added.

During the demonstration the radio station explained, five voters were added to the university's electoral roll and Forson was given one of the laptops used in the actual voting to demonstrate how the voting system works in a two-man race.

The results after the demonstration showed clearly that the system had been manipulated to favour one candidate as all but one vote went to a particular candidate, though they had voted for another, according to a BNI report.

By A.R Gomda

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