Ofosu-Ampofo's men busted

An unspecified number of NDC supporters have been arrested and given Police inquiry bail at Begoro in the Eastern Region for attempting illegal transfer of their votes from Adenta in Accra to Begoro.

The suspects, transported in two Mercedes Benz Cars with registration numbers GE78394Y and GH8263Z were said to have been recruited by Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, NDC National Organiser and NDC Parliamentary candidate in connivance with the constituency chairman Christopher Narh.

This was disclosed by the Fanteakwa NPP constituency chairman, Kofi Asare-Lartey who initiated the move to arrest the people. 

The Begoro Police, who made the arrest, however refused to grant an interview to The Statesman even after their boss at New Tafo had given a verbal order over the telephone to the Inspector in charge to release the story. 

Giving the facts behind the incident, Mr Asare Lartey said around 11 pm last Tuesday, he had a call from a friend in Accra who hinted him about plans to undo NPP in the Fanteakwa constituency.

He said he was told on his arrival in the night that Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo has recruited a number of NDC supporters and directed Christopher Narh to transport them the following day to Begoro. 

Asare-Lartey said the friend gave him all the details including the car numbers and the route they would use. 

Armed with the information, he telephoned the NPP constituency organizer, the First Vice-Chairman and the Secretary at Begoro and urged them to alert the police and also inform the District Election Task Force. 

The chairman said knowing very well that what they were going to do was illegal they decided to go through Somanya-Bepoase road to arrive at Ehyiamenkyene which is a stone's throw to Begoro. 

He said the first car arrived at Ehyinamenkyere around 1 pm and stopped to ask for proper direction to Begoro. Mr. Asare said after gathering the information they took off and the NPP campaign team flagged them to stop.

He said the driver ignored them and in the process hit two of their cars.  He said the campaign team took the lead to alert the Police at their station close to the Begoro barrier.  The Police intercepted the two cars and sent all the passengers to the station for interrogation. 

He said it was at that state that Mr. Narh was found among the people.  Mr. Asare-Lartey alleged that the people, in the early stages told the Police that they were tomato farmers but when the Police pressed hard they confessed that it was Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo who recruited them to transfer their votes to Begoro to vote for him.  He alleged further that, Mr. Narh confirmed the statement.

He said apart from Mr Narh none of them could give details on their places of residence in the constituency.

Mr. Asare-Lartey recalled that Mr. Ofosu Ampofo, who is the former MP, in 2004 transported people from Kumasi and housed them at the Bunso Cocoa College for a similar purpose, but they were found and driven away by the NPP.

He urged Mr. Ofosu Ampofo to do clean politics and stop using unapproved methods to win elections.  This, he said, does not show honesty and sincerity in the electoral process. 

Mean while Mr. Asare-Lartey said almost all people at Nkankama, Otuate and Sumue in the Fanteakwa Constituency have defected from NDC to join NPP.  Those places, he said were previously no go areas for the NPP.