Ghana: Three EC officials arrested over attempts to validate unsigned 'pink sheets'

The Northern Regional Police have picked up one more Electoral Commission (EC) official for allegedly trying to get some presiding officers to sign pink sheets used in the 2012 Presidential Elections. 

Supporters of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) dragged two other officials to the police station earlier Sunday in connection with the same case. 

Northern regional police Public Relations Officer Ebenezer Tetteh toldJoy News that the third suspect is the Northern Regional Deputy Director of the EC.

He explained that three functionaries of the NPP had picked up information that the “regional EC had brought in some pink sheets for the [2012] presidential elections to be signed.”

Mr Tetteh said the NPP functionaries stormed the home of one Salamatu Usman, national service personnel at the Savelugu-Nandom District EC office, where they recovered about 16 pink sheets. They then reported the matter to the police, who picked up Salamatu.

The police PRO said that over the course of investigations, Salamatu mentioned she was instructed by the Savelugu-Nandom District electoral officer to get all unsigned pink sheets validated. 

Benjamin Akumanue, he said, has been arrested to assist in investigations, as has Deputy Regional Electoral Officer Godfred Okley.

This brings the number of suspects arrested in connection with the case to three.