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General News of Wednesday, 26 July 2017

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

EC row: Arrest and prosecute all three Commissioners - Kennedy Agyapong

Kennedy Agyapong, Assin Central MP play videoKennedy Agyapong, Assin Central MP

Outspoken Politician, Kennedy Agyapong, has waded into the brouhaha unfolding at the Electoral Commission.

He has bluntly called for the removal of all three Commissioners involved in the EC saga asserting that none of them is innocent.

He pointed out that the kind of revelations being made and the allegations flying around suggests that all three have been involved in different forms of malpractice at a point in time.

He emphasised that the only way to guarantee a fair investigation into the saga is making all three to step aside and noted that anyone found to be innocent after the investigations could return

“All three commissioners ought to step aside for investigations to go on, if you are found innocent afterwards, then you will be reinstated to your former position. But for fair investigations to go on, and with accusations from Georgina Opoku Amankwa, EC workers, EC chairperson herself and Amadu Sulley, it tells you there is rot at EC”

Kennedy Agyapong who also happens to be Assin South MP, accused the commission of hiding behind its status as an autonomous body to perpetrate some bad deeds.

He insists that the allegations made by the three commissioners are a dent on the image of the commission.

He fumed that there is nothing more that could be done at this stage than to insist on them stepping aside as none can confidently exonerate himself or herself.

The MP, who was visibly enraged by the revelations especially with the amount of tax payers money that had been allegedly diverted to private pockets asserted “In Parliament when Afari Gyan was quizzed on the operations of the EC, he was reluctant and arrogantly gave answers to the House because it is an autonomous body. All these things have gone wrong today, EC Chair is not clean, Sulley is not clean and for Georgina, she is a thick NDC member and also not clean. They have truly destroyed the EC”

Kennedy Agyapong disclosed that prior to the 2016 elections, he discovered some evidence of massive irregularities and malfeasance that indicts Amadu Sully, one of the three embattled commissioners.

He added that but for the advice of a friend, he was willing to bring these evidence to the public domain.

The response of EC chair, the MP believes is a clear indication that she is incompetent and also a confirmation of corrupt dealings at the Commission.

“If you look at the issue, it's obvious EC chair has been cautioned to keep quiet. Her allegations implicate everyone and show she's incompetent. If we want the truth, then all three should be sacked and arrested. The EC’s response is enough basis and evidence for such arrest” he iterated.



He, however, cautioned women groups not to come attacking him because he has asked for the EC chair to be arrested.

He explained that the fact that she is a woman doesn’t exonerate her from wrong doing or criminal proceedings.

There is steaming tension at the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) after some employees of commission petitioned President Nana Akufo-Addo to sack Chairperson of the Commission, Madam Charlotte Osei for allegedly indulging in fraudulent activities.

The aggrieved officials also claimed that Mrs Osei breached the procurement process by single-handedly awarding a GHC3.9 million contract for the demarcation and partitioning of an office complex without engaging the Commission.

They also accused her of abuse of office.

But Mrs. Osei has rubbished the claims and has also accused Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Operations at the EC, Amadu Sulley, of extorting some GHC6 million from political parties without informing the Commission’s Finance Department.

These rebuttals and accusations have attracted public concern with individuals and some groups calling for the dismissal of the parties involved.