A Ninteen-year-old student, Faisal Abubakar, yesterday told an Accra circuit court that Nii Lantey Vanderpuje, the NDC parliamentary candidate for the Odododiodoo Constituency, gave him 3 registration slips and asked him to select a name that he could remember and use it to register in the recent voters' registration exercise.
As a result, he said, he selected one slip which bore the name of Tackie Teye, 20 years and a native of Asene instead of Ada, his hometown.He also said the names of his parents were also changed from Abubakari Jibu to Tackie Boye and Memunatu Fuseini to Mary Okai.
Faisal, who was one of those allegedly recruited by the accused to engage in the double registration was testifying in the case in which Nii Vanderpuje is standing trial at an Accra Circuit Court for alleged electoral malpractices in the registration exercise organised by the Electoral Commission.
Nii Vanderpuje is said to have contracted six persons to engage in double registration during the recent voters' registration exercise.Also on trial are Musah Fuseini, 41 and Gariba Mohammed, 22, both traders.Nii Vanderpuje is charged with five counts of abetment of crime, whereas the other accused persons are being tried on a charge of registering voters without authority.
They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges and the court, presided over by Mr Williwise Kyeremeh, has granted each of them bail in the sum of ¢30 million with one surety.Led in evidence by Mr Augustines Obuor, an Assistant State Attorney, the witness said when he arrived in the house of Nii Vanderpuje, he was wearing a gown and in order not to be identified a Muslim, the accused gave him a jersey to put on to match the name on the slip.
He said when Nii Vanderpuje brought out the slips, he asked Musah about his age and Musah mentioned 19 years, after which Nii Vanderpuje looked through the slips and gave him three of them bearing that age.According to him, Nii Vanderpuje asked him to pick one and memorise the name on it so he picked the slip with the name Tackie Boye and a Banza Bakoe took his batch to the registration centre to take their photographs.
“I was among the second batch of five people, but I did not know their names,” he said.Witness said when he returned from the registration centre, Nii Vanderpuje asked him to give the jersey to one Gado and introduced himself to the group before asking Musah to collect their identity cards from them.
During cross-examination by Nii Okaidja Adamafio, counsel for Nii Vanderpuje, witness admitted that Nii Vanderpuje asked him to select from the slips bearing the age of 19 but he selected one with 20 years bearing the name Tackie Teye.Asked how come the inconsistencies in the ages, witness said he forgot when he was asked the age on the form.Hearing continues today.
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