The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Sunyani municipality, Kwasi Oppong Ababio, who is also vying for the Sunyani East parliamentary seat on the ticket of ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) last Monday allegedly caused the arrest and detention of two ladies till the following day.
They purportedly wanted to transfer their votes from the Sunyani West Constituency to Sunyani East.
The two ladies, Abigail Serwaa, 32 years of age and Elizabeth Yeboah, 18, were allegedly held at the Brong-Ahafo Regional Police Headquarters from Monday till Tuesday afternoon when they were released on police enquiry bail, according to sources.
The women, who hail from Odumase Losco in the Sunyani West Constituency, were at the Sunyani East Electoral Commission (EC) office to transfer their votes but according to the MCE, they came from Bechem in the Tano South Constituency.
The MCE indicated that the women were holding bills (not stated whether light or water), that did not qualify them to transfer their votes per EC regulations regarding voter transfer, and so caused their arrest.
Responding to questions from a local radio station – Moonlight Fm – on its ‘morning show’ programme, Mr Kwasi Oppong Ababio alleged that the ladies were brought from Bechem to come and transfer their votes with the aid of an independent candidate and that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had a hand in it.
According to him, the ladies were inconsistent with their place of abode because they mentioned to him three different places, including Bechem, Odumase and Agric Estate at Sunyani – and so were telling lies hence, their arrest.
He alleged when he got to the EC office after he had heard commotion from the office (which is behind the assembly), that he learnt some non-residents of the constituency had gone there to effect the transfer of their votes. He reportedly asserted that one of the girls was questioned and she knelt down to plead with him because they were brought there to transfer their votes.
This scared the voters in the queue to do the transfer. But the MCE denied the claim on the radio station.
The Sunyani Municipal EC director, Yaw Opoku, confirmed the arrest to DAILY GUIDE, but said it was not reported by the EC. When DAILY GUIDE and TV3 later went to the headquarters to enquire about the arrest, the police confirmed it but would not give details, saying they were still investigating the matter.
FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Sunyani