Police call on voters not to panic

Kumasi, Dec.28, GNA - Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Kwaku Ayesu Opare-Addo, Ashanti Regional Police Commander on Sunday urged voters in the region not to panic but go all out to exercise their franchise in the presidential run-off. He gave the assurance that the security agencies were poised to maintain law and order in the region and as such would not give room to any activity calculated to disrupt the voting process.

DCOP Opare-Addo was interacting with newsmen in Kumasi Sunday afternoon in reaction to rumours that some suspected hired "machomen" were patrolling some polling stations in the region and intimidating voters to prevent them from exercising their franchise. He said it was wrong for any unscrupulous persons to harass innocent voters in pursuit of their hidden agenda. The Regional Police Commander disclosed that his outfit had arrested some suspects for various offences ranging from electoral malpractices to alleged harassment of voters stressing that the culprits were in police custody pending investigations.

DCOP Opare-Addo stated that the international community and observers were monitoring the election with keen interest and as a result the police and the other security agencies would also prove equal to the task in ensuring incident free polls.