I didn’t lie about ballot papers – Wontumi

The Ashanti regional chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, has rubbished reports that he lied during last month’s polls when he claimed that he had information that some thumb-printed presidential papers had been hidden at the Madison Lodge in the Nhyiaeso constituency in Kumasi.

Following the report, the police raided the place and after a search found three bags containing the said ballot papers which had been thumb-printed for former president John Mahama.

Upon thorough scrutiny, the police found that the ballot papers retrieved from the hotel were fake, since they had no serial numbers and stamps, according to the Ashanti regional police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Tanko.

But speaking Wednesday on Starr Chat, Mr. Wontumi denied ever raising a false alarm regarding the ballot papers.

“It’s not false alarm,” he told programme host, Bola Ray asking, “What’s false alarm?”

He said all he was doing was protecting the sanctity of the polls.

“As a leader, you have to listen to a lot of people; all the information…we are going to elections so don’t ignore anybody. So once people call you pay attention. We had information and we [acted] on it,” he said.

He said when he led the police to the scene the ballot papers were there.

Asked by Bola Ray whether there was any evidence that the NDC [National Democratic Congress] was acting shady? He replied that: “My brother [Bola Ray], you know what happened in 2012,” claiming that the country nearly plunged into civil war as a result of “NDC’s rigging”.