Fake’ thumb-printed ballots won’t count – EC

The Electoral Commission says fake ballots thumb-printed for president John Dramani Mahama would not count as valid votes even if they found their way into the ballot box.

The New Patriotic Party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman Monday morning led the police in Kumasi to a location where thousands of fake ballots thumb-printed for the President were retrieved.

The papers were discovered in bags in a room at Madison Lodge in the Nhyiaeso Constituency in Kumasi after the Monday morning search by some policemen, some NPP parliamentary candidates and the party’s regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako.

OTEC NEWS’ Isaac Nsiah Foster reported that the police picked up a receptionist at the facility for questioning after the discovery.

“Bernard Antwi Boasiako has for sometime now been leading the police on a wild goose chase on allegations that some people had arms and thumb-printed ballot papers in certain locations in Kumasi.
He said some of the papers which had no serial numbers had been thumb printed for President John Mahama and had been packed in three mini travelling bags. thumb printed ballot papers

He said a search of a woman’s residence at Tanoso on Sunday yielded no results and another lead led to the Monday morning’s discovery.

Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission said the interception will have no implications for the results of the upcoming elections because they have no serial numbers and Electoral Commission’s stamp on the back.

“This is not the first time we are seeing this…although they look similar to ours but if they get into our ballot boxes, we will find out,” Mr Serebour Quaicoo told OTEC NEWS’ Isaac Nsiah Foster

The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Nathan Kofi Boakye said the circumstances of the interception raises doubt but added that investigations will be conducted to get to the bottom of the matter.
The police commander warned some NPP supporters who had gathered at the Central Police Station in Kumasi to leave or get arrested.

“Insulting the President in front of a police station is unruly and they are trying to provoke us to arrest them….this is an extreme provocation to the Ghana Police Service….it is unnecessary, irresponsible and should not happen,” DCOP Kofi Boakye noted.

Source:otecfm102.9,Kumasi;story by Isaac Nsiah Foster.