Disqualified aspirants could serve up to 10 years if found guilty of forgery - Samson Lardi Anyenini

Legal Practitioner, Samson Lardi Anyenini, has said the five aspirants disqualified by the Electoral Commission could serve prison sentence if found guilty of forging official documents.

According to him, the disqualified aspirants could serve a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.

“If the decision of the Electoral Commission is charging them with forging of official documents, then they are looking at a maximum of 10 years imprisonment if they were found guilty. But if the decision was to charge them for forging other documents, then they are looking to a maximum of 3 years in jail," Joy News quoted the lawyer in its publication on October 22, 2020.

Mr Anyenini added that aside from the imprisonment, the parties who have been found guilty will not be able to contest as presidential aspirants any longer as the constitution requires that you must first be qualified to be a Member of Parliament.

“Now if they were found guilty, what that means is that they will not have the opportunity next time to contest. Because to be qualified to be a president, the constitution requires that you must first be qualified to be a Member of Parliament. The constitution, again says that you are not qualified to be a Member of Parliament if you have been convicted of certain crimes such as fraud, dishonesty, and even questions of moral turpitude.”

The Electoral Commission on Monday disqualified five of these aspirants from contesting the December 7 polls, citing breaches on their forms.

Kofi Koranteng, Marricke Kofi Game, Akwasi Addae Odike, Kwasi Busumbru, and Nana Agyenim Boateng were those disqualified.

The Election Commission said the elections management body will file an official complaint to police against the failed presidential aspirants for allegedly forging supporting documents to their nominations forms, leading to their disqualification.Disqualified aspirants could serve up to 10 years if found guilty of forgery - Samson Lardi Anyenini

Legal Practitioner, Samson Lardi Anyenini, has said the five aspirants disqualified by the Electoral Commission could serve prison sentence if found guilty of forging official documents.

According to him, the disqualified aspirants could serve a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.

“If the decision of the Electoral Commission is charging them with forging of official documents, then they are looking at a maximum of 10 years imprisonment if they were found guilty. But if the decision was to charge them for forging other documents, then they are looking to a maximum of 3 years in jail," Joy News quoted the lawyer in its publication on October 22, 2020.

Mr Anyenini added that aside from the imprisonment, the parties who have been found guilty will not be able to contest as presidential aspirants any longer as the constitution requires that you must first be qualified to be a Member of Parliament.

“Now if they were found guilty, what that means is that they will not have the opportunity next time to contest. Because to be qualified to be a president, the constitution requires that you must first be qualified to be a Member of Parliament. The constitution, again says that you are not qualified to be a Member of Parliament if you have been convicted of certain crimes such as fraud, dishonesty, and even questions of moral turpitude.”

The Electoral Commission on Monday disqualified five of these aspirants from contesting the December 7 polls, citing breaches on their forms.

Kofi Koranteng, Marricke Kofi Game, Akwasi Addae Odike, Kwasi Busumbru, and Nana Agyenim Boateng were those disqualified.

The Election Commission said the elections management body will file an official complaint to police against the failed presidential aspirants for allegedly forging supporting documents to their nominations forms, leading to their disqualification.