Teacher arrested for possessing 8 EC voter registration forms in Sagnarigu
The Police in the Northern Region on Saturday arrested a 44-year-old teacher in the possession of eight Voter Registration Forms 1A belonging to the Electoral Commission (EC) in the ongoing mass voter registration exercise in the Sagnarigu Municipality.
According to the police, the eight forms were those with the EC serial numbers on them and not forms available online for printing.
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The suspect, Alhassan Abdullai Mohammed was seen filling the forms for prospective applicants and their guarantors according to the police.
He was first arrested by officials of the EC and subsequently handed over to the police.
He has since been cautioned and detained to assist with investigations.
The Northern Regional Crime Officer, a Superintendent of Police, Mr Kwabena Otuo Acheampong told Graphic Online in Tamale on Saturday, July 4, 2020 the incident happened at about 4pm.
The police, he said responded to a call that said there was a problem at the Sagnarigu Municipal office of the EC.
He said at the office, the suspect, Alhassan Abdullai Mohammed, 44, a teacher was handed over to the police in possession of eight voter registration forms 1A, the property of the EC, which he dishonestly appropriated without the consent of the registration officer.
NPP press conference
Meanwhile, at a press conference organised by the Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mohammed Baantima Adam Samba, he alleged that he spotted the suspect, whom he said was a known opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) activist in the Sagnarigu municipality filling the voter registration forms during his tour of the registration centres in the region.
Mr Samba said he drew the attention of the EC officials to witness the act, and subsequently called for his arrest.
The NPP Northern Regional Chairman said after the arrest of the suspect by the EC officials, he [suspect] pleaded with the EC officials not to reveal his identity.
He stated that as of the time of the arrest of the suspect he was then filling forms including that of guarantors’ which he has no right to apart from the EC officials.
"We are all aware that no citizen or party agent is supposed to fill the forms without the consent of the EC, even if you have the forms printed from the internet, you together with the person going to register and the guarantors must appear before the EC officials with all the party agents represented to go through with the registration," Mr Samba stated.
He alleged that; these forms are those with the EC serial numbers but not the forms available online for printing.
Mr Samba claimed that the suspect is an accredited National Democratic Congress (NDC) agent who was at the registration centres to monitor the proceedings.