Maxwell Kofi Jumah during his arrest
A Kumasi Circuit Court yesterday found Maxwell Kofi Jumah, former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Asokwa and one-time Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), guilty of causing unlawful damage to electoral material.
The court, presided over by Afua Adu-Amankwa, convicted Mr. Jumah along with his campaign manager, Oscar Riches.
The former MP was sentenced to pay a fine of GH¢1,200 or in default, spend six months behind bars.
Oscar Riches aka Ghana Beyeyie was also sentenced to pay GH?960 or in default serve a prison term of three months.
Earlier in the trial, the court granted bail to the duo in the sum of GH?10,000 each with one surety.
They were charged with two counts of causing unlawful damage to a photo album belonging to the Electoral Commission (EC) and resisting arrest.
The former MP, who was once a Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development in the previous Kufuor administration, was said to have seized a ballot booklet from officials of the EC during the NPP parliamentary primary in the constituency last year.
He was in a contest with the incumbent MP, Patricia Appiagyei, to be elected representative of the party for this year’s parliamentary election to be held on December 7 when the incident happened.
Officers from the Asokwa Police Station whisked Mr. Jumah away and placed him in custody on a Saturday evening until the following Sunday, after a scuffle had ensued during the polls at Ahinsan Youth Centre in the constituency..
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi