Jean Mensa – Chairperson of EC
CHAIRPERSON of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa has denied there were masked men at the polling stations during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election that was marred by violence.
She made this known when she took her turn before the Justice Emile Short Commission of Inquiry probing the Ayawaso West Wuogon shooting incident on the day of the election on January 31, 2019.
She insisted that contrary to reports, there were only security personnel of the Ghana Police and the Ghana Immigration Service on the day of voting.
She denied almost all the allegations, saying EC had done a thorough investigation.
According to her, there were no armed policemen at any of the polling stations
“I still stand by the reports that we received that there were no masked men from the polling stations,” she argued, adding that there were no armed masked men at the polling stations.
She said EC has done extensive investigations after the CODEO report.
According to her, voting at the 137 polling stations was peaceful and that the gun shooting incident was 140 metres away from the LA Bawaleshie polling station.
She said the presiding officers of the EC had to protect their materials upon hearing gun shots and that disrupted the voting at Bawaleshie for about 45 minutes.
She insisted that contrary to report that a police officer was beaten at the Prisons Polling Station, there were only disagreement between the police officer and a national security personnel.
She said the police officer was never assaulted physically.
Again, she dismissed reports that at some polling stations there were about 15 heavily armed policemen.
She said she personally visited the polling stations and there maximum four to five police officers and personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service.
She flatly denied all the allegations made by CODEO.
BY Melvin Tarlue