Take action against 2 EC officers captured taking ‘bribes’ - Ghanaians demand

More than 500 people have signed a petition demanding action against some Electoral Commission officials in Kasoa at the Central Region who were captured on tape taking monies above the statutory fees for replacing a voter’s identity cards.

One of two officials from the EC office in Kasoa was at least captured on videotape collecting money from one person who visited that office to replace a voter’s ID card.

An EC officer, Harriet Djani at Kasoa was captured demanding from someone on the phone, GHC30 as transportation fee to get a lamination film from another EC office to laminate a voter’s ID card.

Another officer in the same office, who is yet to be identified, was also captured on videotape collecting GHC40 under the same pretense.

The cost of a voter’s ID card replacement is GHC5.

According to Klarity and Tiger Eye Foundation who first exposed the incident and brought it to the attention of the EC head office in Accra in January this year, no action has been taken on the matter yet.

Per their online petition, the two groups claimed the Head of Communications at EC on January 10 assured that the Commission would address the issues raised and set up a committee immediately to investigate the case by January 24.

It said, however, that it has since March 19 not heard anything from the EC, stating “No statement on this case from the EC has been given to date”.

A statement issued Monday reminded the EC of its promise to act against allegations of corruption against its officials captured on the tape.

“To date, the petition has received a massive endorsement from over 500 individuals, who have signed an online petition calling for the Electoral Commission to take action on this case,” it said of its online petition.

“We believe that corruption should be high risk and a low gain activity, and are happy that many Ghanaians are taking this stand against everyday corruption”, said Eliza Kücükaslan, CEO of Klarity.

According to the Klarity, the petitioners believe for too long, corrupt officials in the Commission have not been held accountable.

Klarity and Tiger Eye Foundation, as well as the over 500 people who have signed the petition, have called on the EC to get to the bottom of the case and make public the outcome.