Eight out of the 12 presidential aspirants who were disqualified by the Electoral Commission (EC) for allegedly committing various criminal and electoral offences while filing their nominations have reported themselves to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the police headquarters in Accra.
The presidential aspirants were given up to the close of yesterday, October 21, 2016 to report themselves to the police or face humiliation of being declared wanted.
This was after a criminal charge had been leveled against them by the EC chairperson, Charlotte Osei.
They are facing charges of fraud and electoral irregularities and therefore have questions to answer, according to the CID.
At the police headquarters yesterday, DAILY GUIDE learnt that four of the disqualified candidates gave their statements.
They included Dr Henry Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Hassan Ayariga of All People’s Congress (APC), Kwabena Adjei of Reformed Patriotic Democrat (RPD) and Kofi Akpaloo, Independent People’s Party (IPP).
The suspects, according to sources, were at the station with their lawyers.
However, Progressive People’s Party candidate Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, the National Democratic Party’s (NDP’s) Nana Konadu Agyman Rawlings and Democratic People’s Party’s (DPP’s) Ward Nuako Brew, sent representatives to stand in for them while they reported later.
Nana Agyenim Boateng, popularly called Gyataba of United Front Party (UFP), according to sources, called the investigator in-charge of the case to seek permission.
He promised to report himself on Monday while the subscriber for Dr Ndoum, Richard Aseda – a man accused of endorsing the PPP leader’s forms in two different districts, also reported himself.
It was not clear whether Akua Donkor of Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) had been cleared as she was nowhere to be found.
But PNC flag bearer, Dr Edward Mahama, according to a source, did not either report or send a representative to the station to stand in for him.
DAILY GUIDE has gathered that after their statements had been taken, the suspected presidential aspirants would be given self-recognizance bail while investigations continue.
The police said the disqualified aspirants have breached Article 53 of the Constitution, C.I. 94 of the Election Regulation, the Criminal Offences Act, among other laws, and are likely to be prosecuted.
The aspirants were disqualified from contesting in the December elections on October 10, 2016 when the Returning Officer, Chair of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, found multiple breaches in the presidential nomination forms submitted by the aspirants.
Hassan Ayariga (APC)
Hassan Ayariga was disqualified for not providing evidence on his statutory declaration as to his hometown or residence in the constituency as per the legal requirements; while two subscribers of his nomination also subscribed for another presidential candidate.
This, the commission said, breaches Regulation 7(4) of CI 94.
Dr. Edward Nasigri Mahama (PNC)
The flag bearer of PNC was disqualified because many of his subscribers did not properly sign the forms.
Thumbprints, signatures or marks were omitted all together while two subscribers to his nomination also subscribed for Hassan Ayariga with forged signatures.
Dr. Nana Agyenim Boateng – (UFP)
The Electoral Commission disqualified Dr Boateng because the number of his subscribers did not meet the minimum required under Regulation 7(2) (b) of CI 94.
One of his subscribers, identified as Amadu Babia Latifah with Voter ID number 3357006984 and polling station K100401, purportedly supported the nomination of another candidate.
The commission also detected that the subscriber had different signatures on both candidates’ nominations forms, raising questions as to the legitimacy of the signatures on both forms.
Three of Dr. Boateng’s subscribers supported the nomination of another candidate and again with different signatures.
Kofi Akpaloo- (IPP)
His nomination was rejected because the number of his subscribers did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94.
Again, the cross-subscribers have different signatures on the nomination forms, raising questions as to the legitimacy of the signatures, according to the EC.
Kwabena Adjei – (RPD)
His nomination was rejected because the number of subscribers to his forms did not also meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94 while two of his subscribers were found not to be registered voters as they are on the Exclusion List for multiple registrations.
Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom – (PPP)
Dr Nduom’s nomination was not accepted by the EC because the number of subscribers to his forms did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94.
Another subscriber endorsed the forms in two different districts.
The subscriber was found to be on the Voter’s Register in one district, thereby disqualifying his second subscription and reducing the total number of subscribers to below the minimum required by the Law.
Dr. Henry Herbert Lartey – (GCPP)
He was disqualified by the EC because the number of subscribers to his forms did not meet the requirements of Regulation 7 (2) (b) of CI 94 while personal records of the vice presidential candidate of the party were not provided.
One of his subscribers also supported the nomination of another candidate.
Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings – (NDP)
The nomination forms of Mrs Rawlings were rejected due to the inadequacy of the number of subscribers to her forms.
One subscriber of her nomination was not a validly registered voter and illegally registered twice and is consequently on the Exclusion List of multiple voters.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey