General News of Monday, 28 October 2013

Source: Daily Guide

Strange transfers at Electoral Commission

The Director of Elections at the Electoral Commission (EC), Kofi Asomaning is one of the top officials affected by a streak of transfer at the election management organization recently.

Coming on the heels of the presidential election petition hearing, the action has triggered questions, especially among opposition politicians who are wondering the objective of the exercise.

The EC boss is said to have retorted that anyone who is not ready to move can resign.

The director of elections has been transferred to the research department as head, and the Ga South District Officer, who used to manage four constituencies, now heads for Kpeshie where he would now handle one constituency.

The Tema District Officer, Mr. Mainoo, whose other name Daily Guide was unable to lay hands on, has been asked to leave his current location for a different one.

Another official, Young Asirifi has been moved from the Greater Accra Region to the Eastern Region in the transfer.

A certain Mrs. Pinkra moves from the Greater Accra Region to Ashanti.

Some of the affected officials who expressed shock at the transfer wondered whether the exercise was an act of victimization.

Pleading anonymity, one of them said “if the transfer are intended to have some of them resign their appointments it won’t happen.

Isaac Asomaning and Emmanuel Asante Kusi Director of Elections and Logistics Officer respectively were at the center of a bribery scandal allegation before last year’s election.

A self-acclaimed man of God, a certain Prophet Daniel Nkansah and leader of the New Vision Party claimed he gave the two persons a bribe of GHC1.6 million to facilitate his registration to contest the elections.

An investigation of the matter lost steam and died for want of adequate evidence, especially against the Director of Elections, who did not collect any amount of money from Prophet Nkansah.

It would be recalled that Emmanuel Asante Kusi, who has been transferred to Kwabibrem District in the Eastern Region, admitted collecting money from the so-called man of God.

He claimed the money was not meant for that purpose.