Judge advises EC to be vigilant

Sunyani, June 14, GNA - Mr. Joseph Robert Quanson, Presiding Judge of the Sunyani Magistrate Court "A" on Monday called on officials of the Electoral Commission to scrutinize individual voter's identification cards thoroughly on voting day in December.

He noted that in spite of efforts by the government as well as the EC to sensitise the people against double registration, the judiciary had realized that some people managed to obtain two voter ID cards. Mr. Quanson made the call when he sentenced Richard Nyamekye, an unemployed resident of Odumase, near Sunyani to two years imprisonment in hard labour for intentionally and unlawfully registering his name twice during the recent registration exercise. Nyamekye pleaded guilty to the charge of multiple registrations and was sentenced accordingly.

The Presiding Judge ordered that the two cards be confiscated and destroyed since the accused had disqualified himself as an honest person by attempting to defraud the state.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police David Kwaku Amoako said on the first day of the registration exercise in March this year, Nyamekye went to polling station Number G064403 and got registered as Richmond Nyamekye and during the photo taking exercise was issued with an ID card with serial number 10887634 (AF) with his picture embossed on it. He said Nyamekye later managed to rub off the indelible ink on his thumb, cut his hair low to disguise himself and went to a different polling station with registration number G06401 in the same Sunyani vicinity and registered with the reverse name, Nyamekye Richmond and was issued with ID card with serial number 10918791(EC).

ASP Amoako said on June 9 the accused, who had been on the Police wanted list for robbery was arrested at his hideout at Chiraa, also near Sunyani and a search on him revealed the two ID cards. The prosecutor said the robbery case is still under investigations.