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15.05.2012 Politics

EC Orders Arrest Of Registration Officials

15.05.2012 LISTEN
By Shirley Aseidu-Addo - Daily Graphic

The Electoral Commission (EC) has ordered the arrest of two registration officials in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem District for allegedly aiding minors to register.

The officials have been identified as Mr Isaam Mbeah, a registration officer responsible for special duty, and Mr Richard Ackon, an assistant registration officer.

The two are currently on police enquiry bail.
The suspects, who were stationed at the Eguafo Senior High School registration centre, have since been sacked by the EC.

The complicity of the two officials in registering some minors was said to have created some confusion at the registration centre.

The District Electoral Officer, Mr Richard Asenso, said he had information last Tuesday that an assistant officer at the registration centre had aided some minors in the registration centre’s catchment area to register.

He said the assistant officer involved in the said registration was invited to his office at Elmina for preliminary interrogation.

According to Mr Asenso, during the interrogation, the assistant registration officer failed to give convincing information about the incident but rather accused the registration officer of indulging in the registration of the minors.

He said when the registration officer was invited for questioning, he also accused the officer responsible for special duty.

After failing to give reasonable explanations to their actions and inaction and upon advice from the head office of the EC, he said, the two officials were given dismissal letters and handed over to the police.

The Deputy Regional Director of the EC, Mr Serebour Quaicoe, said the EC would ensure that anybody who made moves to disrupt the process was handed over to the police.

He indicated that aiding minors to register to vote was criminal and that was why the EC had handed them over to the police.

Mr Quaicoe advised both registrants and registration officers to be careful and honest to ensure that the registration was smooth and with few incidents as possible.

He indicated that the EC’s commitment to ensure a clean register and a free and fair election could not be achieved if registrants and registration officers failed to support this noble goal.

Meanwhile, the Regional Police Public Relations officer, Mr Raymond Asaaba, has said the two have been granted bail while investigations continue.

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