General News of 2013-02-18

Update: One more EC official arrested over unsigned 'pink sheets'

The Northern regional police has picked up one more official of the Electoral Commission (EC) for allegedly trying to get some presiding officers to sign some pink sheets used for the 2012 Presidential Elections.
Two other officials were earlier Sunday dragged to the police station by some supporters of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in connection with the same case.
Northern regional police Public Relations Officer Ebenezer Tetteh told Joy News the third suspect is the Northern regional deputy director of the EC.
He explained that three functionaries of the NPP picked up information that the “regional EC had brought in some pink sheets for the (2012) presidential elections to be signed”.
The police officer said the NPP functionaries stormed the home of one Salamatu Usman, national service personnel at the Savelugu-Nandom District EC office since she had the pink sheets and snatched away about 16 of them. They then reported the matter to the police who picked up Salamatu.
The police PRO said during the cause of investigations, Salamatu mentioned she was instructed by the Savelugu-Nandom District electoral officer to get all unsigned pink sheets validated.
Benjamin Akumanue, he said, has been arrested to assist in investigations as well as the deputy regional electoral officer, Godfred Okley.
This brings to three, the number of suspects arrested in connection with the case.