Rawlings' bodyguard in court

Daniel Mensah, a private bodyguard of the former President, Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings, yesterday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly committing an electoral malpractice, during the recent nationwide voter registration exercise.
He has been charged before the court for registering at more than one registration centre, and also giving false information to a registration officer. Daniel, who is physically endowed was put in the dock, but soon after, his case was adjourned to September 7, 2004, for hearing to commence, Daniel has already pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the court has granted him ¢40million bail with one surety.
The facts of the case, as presented to the court, are that during the recent voters registration exercise on March 16, 2004, the complainant in the case, who is the Zonal co-ordinator for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ayawaso Central Electoral area, met the accused person registering at the Rainbow Registration Centre. The prosecution adduced that on March 22, 2004, whilst on his rounds, the Zonal Co-ordinator again met the accused registering at the Technical Institute Registration Centre. The complainant took records of the accused person's registration data, and later made a report to the police.
According to the prosecution, when a check was later made at the Rainbow Registration Centre, it was detected that the accused registered in the name Daniel Mensah of H/No. C77/8, Accra New Town, with voter ID No. 18583102 (IG). When another check was conducted at the Technical Institute Centre which also revealed that the accused registered in the name Daniel K. Mensah of House No. C77/8, Mensah's House No. with voter ID No 18561921 (JE). The accused was therefore arrested and processed before court.