Two NDC activists sentenced to two years imprisonment

A Community tribunal at Nkawkaw near the capital Accra, has sentenced two activists of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to two years imprisonment with hard labour for a stealing a ballot box belonging to the Electoral Commission.

They were Ebenezar Nyarko, a driver and Nkawkaw Constituency Treasurer of the party and Mohammed Yaro, a cola dealer and Asubone Rail chairman of the party.

Four others, including William Kwasi Agyare, a teacher and Nkawkaw Constituency Parliamentary candidate of the party in last year's election, Daniel Kwame Ansong, also a teacher, Fred Opoku Yeboah, a driver and Clement Kwame Odimah, a trader who were jointly charged with them were, however, acquitted and discharged for lack of evidence.

The tribunal, chaired by Mr William Boampong, ordered that a Niva vehicle with registration number GW 6664 R used for the stealing of the ballot box should be confiscated and given to the Kwahu South District Assembly.

Inspector John Padmore Arthur told the tribunal that during the Presidential and Parliamentary elections on December 28, last year, Nyarko, who was driving an NDC Nissan Pick-up vehicle with registration number GT 2706 R went to Kwadwo Nkansah village, near Asubone Rail and tried to disrupt the election going on at the polling centre.

He said he asked the electoral officials why they were not allowing the party agents at the centre to cross-check the names of the registered voters in the registrar but was told that it was not their duty so he drove away.

The Prosecutor said, an hour later, he returned with the additional Niva vehicle loaded with strong men numbering about 33 who wanted to cause pandemonium at the polling centre.

He said, Yaro ordered one Iddi, now on the run, to go for the ballot box, which he obliged. He picked it and put it into the Niva and drove away. The box contained 134 votes that had been cast at that time.