Fake ballots: Invite Wontumi for questioning – NDC

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the police to invite the Ashanti regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bernard Antwi Boasiako for questioning over the seizure of bags containing thumb-printed ballots at a hotel in Kumasi.

The NDC statement signed by its Ashanti regional secretary, Raymond Tandoh, described the attitude of Mr Boasiako also known as ‘Chairman Wontumi’ over the past few days as suspicious and for that matter must be interrogated.

Reports were rife Monday that the law enforcement agency retrieved bags loaded with thumb-printed ballot in favour of President Mahama of the NDC at the Madison Hotel at TUC in Kumasi.

But the Ashanti regional police commander, COP Nathan Kofi Boakye told the media at a press briefing the ballot papers were fake and had been confirmed by the Regional EC chairman, Serebour Quarcoo.

The NDC said the NPP’s action is basically “noise as usual, irresponsible, unnecessary and uncalled for.”

Below is the full statement

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS, ASHANTI REGIONAL CHAPTER PRESS RELEASE

DECEMBER 5, 2016

THE PARTY’S POSITION ON CLAIMS OF DISCOVERY OF THUMB PRINTED BALLOT PAPERS AT THE MADISON LODGE, TUC, KUMASI

It has come to our attention this morning about an alleged discovery of thumb printed ballot sheets in a room at the Madison Lodge, TUC, Kumasi.

It is worthy to state the following facts;

1. For the past three days, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Wontumi has misled the media and police in a wild goose chase of large cache of ammunitions and thumb printed ballot papers across the region, from an initial false claim of an impounded ammunition by the military in Kumasi, to the search of house numbered AS2015S at Asouyeboa for weapons and ended with another in Tanoso yesterday.

2. At 6:00am this morning, Wontumi called the media to join him and some Police officers for a raid at the Madison Lodge, TUC, Kumasi.

3. Upon arrival at the Lodge, they directed all occupants to come out of their rooms for a search, which they complied.

4. They were led subsequently by Wontumi into a particular room where some bags containing thumb printed ballots were kept.

5. Shockingly, per the Lodge’s records, the occupant checked out without any viable personal records to help investigations.

6. This leaves Wontumi as the only credible primary source of information.

7. The receptionist currently is with the Police for further questioning but with an initial denial of any knowledge of the said ballots and the identity of the guest.

With the above, we have come to the following conclusions;

1. Wontumi as the primary source of information must be invited to help further investigations.

2. Why did the hotel, as conventionally practiced chose not to record personal details of the guest.

We therefore call on the Police to immediately arrest the owner of the Lodge to aid investigations. But we have strong convictions that this is just a deliberate creation of the NPP to divert attention from the President’s commissioning of the first phase of the Kumasi Kejetia Market and sod cutting for phase 2 expansion of the Kumasi International Airport slated for today, December 5, 2016.

We urge all our members to remain calm even as we work with the Police to unravel this evil mystery.

……Signed……

Raymond Tandoh

Ashanti Regional Secretary