The Electoral Commission (EC) dismissed one of its temporary Voters Registration Officers at the Pusiga District Registration Centre in the Upper East Region after he was arrested for allegedly committing registration fraud.
According to a statement issued by the Commission yesterday, the registration officer colluded with some party agents to register 17 applicants who gave fake Ghana Card numbers.
The statement, signed by Michael Boadu, Acting Director of Public Affairs of the EC, indicated that the incident happened on May 13, 2024.
It said the Commission received a report from its Upper East Regional Director that during the voters registration exercise on May 13, 2024, a Data Entry Clerk observed suspicious Ghana Card numbers on 17 registration forms.
The Data Entry Clerk notified the District Electoral Officer accordingly, the statement pointed out, and added, “Upon investigation, it was revealed that the Ghana Card numbers were fake.”
“It was further discovered that the Registration Officer was complicit because he did not physically inspect the Ghana Card of individual applicants but rather accepted the fake numbers from party agents who had accompanied the 17 applicants,” the EC said.
The statement disclosed that the registration officer was dismissed, and a report was made to the police, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
“He has since been granted a police enquiry bail while the police continue with their investigations. The 17 applicants were subsequently registered through the guarantor system,” the EC said.
The Commission warned all temporary officials that it would not tolerate violations of electoral laws, noting that the case was still under investigation by the police.
“Any person found violating the laws of the Commission will be handed over to the police and permanently blacklisted by the Commission.
“The Commission assures all its stakeholders and the general public that the Voters Registration Exercise is being conducted in a transparent and inclusive manner,” the statement said.
It stated that despite the challenges encountered within the first two days, the Commission is on schedule to register the projected 623,000 voters by the end of the exercise.
“We count on the cooperation and vigilance of all citizens to ensure that the remaining period of the registration is peaceful and successful,” the statement said.
By Ernest Kofi Adu