Six disqualified presidential aspirants for the upcoming 2016 general election have turned themselves in to the police to answer questions concerning the anomalies detected on their nomination forms.
The six reported themselves to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service at the weekend, in the company of their lawyers.
Updating the Daily Graphic on the turn of events over the weekend, the Director General of the CID, Mr Prosper Kwame Agblor, said Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Mr Henry Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Mr Hassan Ayariga of the All People’s Congress (APC), Mr Kwabena Adjei of the Reform Patriotic Democrats (RPD), Mr Kofi Akpalu of the Independent People’s Party (IPP) and Nana Agyenim Boateng of the United Front Party (UFP) had reported themselves to the police for questioning.
According to Mr Agblor, Mrs Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and Dr Edward Nasigri Mahama of the People’s National Convention (PNC) were yet to report themselves to the police.
The Chase
Last week, the CID turned the heat on the eight disqualified presidential aspirants whose subscribers committed various offences while endorsing the aspirants’ nomination forms.
Mr Agblor said the six who reported themselves to the police had since been granted self recognisance bail, while investigations were ongoing.
He said they were likely to be charged with abetment of crime after investigations.
“The presidential aspirants were the ones who presented the nomination forms in contention to the Electoral Commission (EC). They will be charged with abetment of crime if investigations conclude that they are culpable,” he said.
Nine subscribers
Meanwhile, the CID is investigating nine people who allegedly committed various forms of fraud while endorsing the nomination forms of the eight presidential aspirants to contest the December 7 polls.
Those being investigated are Salifu Abdulai, Adu Thomas, Alfred Yevuglo, Richard Aseda, Amadu Babia Latifa, Amadu Ayuba, Owusu Stephen, Abdulai Mariama, also known as Fusheini Mariama, and Abaako Issifu.
Adu, Yevuglo, Aseda, Ayuba and Issifu have been picked up for interrogation. Issifu who subscribed to both APc and PNC was arrested at Pusiga yesterday.
Mariama of the RPD engaged in the offence of multiple registration; Ayuba subscribed for both the PNC and the APC, while Adu and Yevuglo subscribed for both the IPP and the UFP.
Latifa, on the other hand, subscribed for both the GCPP and the UFP, while Aseda subscribed twice for the PPP.
According to Mr Agblor, the suspects’ actions had breached Article 63 of the 1992 Constitution, the Criminal Offences Act, Act 29, the Public Elections Regulations, 2016, C. I. 94 and PNDCL 284.
Background
The EC, on Monday, October 10, 2016, disqualified 12 presidential aspirants from contesting the December 7, 2016 elections for various reasons, ranging from forgery, impersonation to perjury.
Three days later, it forwarded a complaint against subscribers for eight aspirants to the CID for investigations.
The EC Boss, Mrs Charlotte Osei, submitted a written statement to the police on Wednesday, October 19, 2016.
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