NDC Aspirant’s Wife Cries Foul

Mrs Veronica Vanderpuiye, wife of NDC's Parliamentary aspirant for the Odododiodio Constituency for Election 2004, Nii Lantey Vanderpuiye has told 'The Crusading Guide' in an interview that their house at Accra Central Zongo Lane was raided by armed police personnel at dawn for an offence the husband (Nii Lantey) knew nothing about.

Speaking to newsmen at Labadi Police Station last Saturday where Mr Nii Lantey Vanderpuiye had been kept in custody, Mrs Vanderpuiye said that the police action scared their children who were present when the incident happened.

”I am not surprised. I think it is the work of the devil and I know my husband can't do that”, she said in apparent reference to the alleged electoral offence the police are investigating. She narrated that the armed police personnel zoomed in on her family at around 4.30 am and searched the house with on Alhaji assisting them. She said that when she woke her husband (Nii Lantey) up to meet the Police, they (Police) told the husband that he was involved in an alleged electoral offence.

Veronica continued that the Police brought in a young man who they said has perpetrated the alleged offence with Nii Lantey Vanderpuiye (the husband) and asked him (husband) if he knew the boy.

“My husband said he did not know him, but the boy told the police men that they should remove his handcuffs so that he would slap my husband for saying that he did not know him”, Veronica said. Asked whether he knew the husband would be granted bail that Saturday, she said she could not tell. Police sources later revealed that Nii Lantey was granted police enquiry bail that Saturday.

Nii Lantey Vanderpuiye was sleeping when The Crusading Guide reporter went to the cells. The other cell inmates started shouting “honourable”, “honourable”, instantly waking him. He raised his head and calmly started answering questions posed to him by this reporter.

“I have been framed up”, he said, adding that the truth would soon come out. Nii Lantey said he suspected political machinations because of the person who got the case reported to the police. He mentioned the NPP MP, Hon. Niibi Ayi Bonte of the Odododiodio Constituency as the source of the police action.