EC confirms prosecution of impostors and fake guarantors
Several non-Ghanaians have been arrested for trying to register in the ongoing voters’ registration exercise in the country.
The Electoral Commission (EC) says people who have engaged in crimes relating to the voters’ registration exercise are being prosecuted.
The suspects include non-Ghanaians who tried to steal their way into registering for voter identity cards.
Eric Bossman Asare, deputy chairman of the Electoral Commission, warned that it was a serious crime to stand as a guarantor for foreigners.
“Guarantors must make sure that they know the nationalities of the applicants they are guaranteeing for. It is a crime to guarantee for foreigners to register and vote,” he told reporters.
Nigerian jailed for six months
Dr Asare disclosed that a Nigerian national has been jailed for attempting to register for the voter identity card.
He said the suspect was sentenced to six months in prison with hard labour by the Kaneshie District Court.
Tthe two people who stood as guarantors for the suspect are also being searched for by the police.
“If the Commission establishes that they are not Ghanaians and you guarantee for them, you are liable for prosecution … Foreigners caught trying to register will be prosecuted,” Dr Asare said.
“An example is a Nigerian who was arrested and sentenced on Wednesday 29 July by the Kaneshie District Court to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour for attempting to register.
“There are two individuals who guaranteed for him. The police are looking for them,” Dr Asare said.
EC exceeds its target
The EC had projected 15 million registrants by the end of the registration process, but that number has already been exceeded.
As of Monday 5 July 2020, the Commission said it had registered 15,117,438 people, with a few more days to go.
Speaking at the “Let the Citizen Know” forum in Accra, Dr Asare said the EC is now looking at over 16 million registrants by the end of the exercise.
He said that although the initially projected target has been exceeded, the Commission was making plans for excesses.
“The Commission has put in place measures to contain the excess. We have maintained that registered voters between 14 million and 16 million should be okay, and we will probably register around 16.5 million people,” he said.
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