The National Democratic Congress is demanding the arrest of the owner of Madison Lodge in Kumasi where some fake thumb-printed presidential ballot papers were seized from Monday morning.
The ballots, which were contained in three bags were seized by the Ashanti Regional Police Command following a tip off by the New Patriotic Party Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako.
Management of the hotel located at Kumasi TUC have so far failed to provide records of the person who lodged into the room where the materials, which the Electoral Commission has described as fake, were retrieved from.
The receptionist of the hotel is currently assisting the Central Police Station in its investigations into the case.
But a statement issued by the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NDC, Raymond Tandoh, wondered why the hotel does not have the personal details of the guest in the room where the materials were being kept, as is the standard practice.
“Why did the hotel, as conventionally practiced chose not to record personal details of the guest. We therefore call on the Police to immediately arrest the owner of the Lodge to aid investigations,” the NDC demanded..
The NDC claimed the incident is just one of the NPP’s orchestration to divert attention from President John Mahama’s commissioning of the first phase of the Kumasi Kejetia Market on Monday.
THE PARTY’S POSITION ON CLAIMS OF DISCOVERY OF THUMB PRINTED BALLOT PAPERS AT THE MADISON LODGE, TUC, KUMASI
It has come to our attention this morning about an alleged discovery of thumb printed ballot sheets in a room at the Madison Lodge, TUC, Kumasi.
It is worthy to state the following facts;
1. For the past three days, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Wontumi has misled the media and police in a wild goose chase of large cache of ammunitions and thumb printed ballot papers across the region, from an initial false claim of an impounded ammunition by the military in Kumasi, to the search of house numbered AS2015S at Asouyeboa for weapons and ended with another in Tanoso yesterday.
2. At 6:00am this morning, Wontumi called the media to join him and some Police officers for a raid at the Madison Lodge, TUC, Kumasi.
3. Upon arrival at the Lodge, they directed all occupants to come out of their rooms for a search, which they complied.
4. They were led subsequently by Wontumi into a particular room where some bags containing thumb printed ballots were kept.
5. Shockingly, per the Lodge’s records, the occupant checked out without any viable personal records to help investigations.
6. This leaves Wontumi as the only credible primary source of information.
7. The receptionist currently is with the Police for further questioning but with an initial denial of any knowledge of the said ballots and the identity of the guest.
With the above, we have come to the following conclusions;
1. Wontumi as the primary source of information must be invited to help further investigations.
2. Why did the hotel, as conventionally practiced chose not to record personal details of the guest.
We therefore call on the Police to immediately arrest the owner of the Lodge to aid investigations. But we have strong convictions that this is just a deliberate creation of the NPP to divert attention from the President’s commissioning of the first phase of the Kumasi Kejetia Market and sod cutting for phase 2 expansion of the Kumasi International Airport slated for today, December 5, 2016.
We urge all our members to remain calm even as we work with the Police to unravel this evil mystery.
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