The National Democratic Congress (NDC ) has accused aide of Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi of planting the fake ballot papers that were intercepted by the Police in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi on Monday.
According to the party, Wontumi’s aide, Andy Owusu made the move in other to accuse the NDC of trying to rig December 7 polls for the President in the region.
The Police in Kumasi on Monday intercepted three bags stuffed with thumb-printed presidential ballot papers found at the Madison Lodge at TUC in Kumasi.
Chairman Wontumi
All the retrieved ballot papers which had thumb prints for President John Mahama, the presidential candidate of the NDC was later said to be fake.
But addressing the press on Monday, the National Organizer of the NDC, Kofi Adams said Wontumi’s aide spent two nights at the hotel where the material was intercepted.
“A hotel room that was booked by an aide of the regional chairman of New Patriotic Party for Ashanti Region, Chairman Wontumi to allow his business partners to spend a night or two there, where he [Wontumi] stayed himself as the report indicated, with a white lady, the next morning the chairman now moves with the Police to a very room that his own special assistant has spent the night and say there are thumb printed ballot papers there and that they were thumb printing ballot papers for President Mahama,” he claimed.
I have no hand in intercepted fake ballot papers
Meanwhile, Wontumi’s aide, Andy Owusu in a statement rejected the claims.
“I want to state unequivocally that until today, Monday, the 5th of December, I never knew of a hotel called Madison Lodge let alone make a booking there. Besides that how could I have been so foolish or dumb to have booked hotel rooms for such operation and register with my real name,” he added.
Below is the full statement from Andy Owusu
Press Statement by Andy Owusu, Special Aide to Chairman Wontumi:
My attention has been drawn to a statement circulating on social media supposedly issued by one Evans Nuamah, said to be the manager of Madison Hotel, the place where some NDC thumb-printed ballot papers were seized earlier this morning.
The content of the statement is not only laughable but can also hardly pass the intelligence test.
First of all, the statement indicated that I, Andy Owusu, allegedly booked three rooms in the hotel to entertain my business partners.
It further stated that I came in with two bags on the night that I made the booking.
The statement further reads “Chairman Wontumi, on Sunday, led Police men and media to our hotel premises to the very room his assistant booked, only to be told they were thumb printed Ballot”
I want to state unequivocally that until today, Monday, the 5th of December, I never knew of a hotel called Madison Lodge let alone make a booking there.
Besides that how could I have been so foolish or dumb to have booked hotel rooms for such operation and register with my real name.
Perhaps, such thing can only be done by people with such weak intelligentsia like those who issued that statement accusing me of planting those ballot papers.
Apart from this the author of the statement, perhaps being motivated by his heinous agenda, even failed to get the day right by stating that the incident happened on yesterday when in actual fact the police invaded the hotel today, Monday.
Also, our checks indicate that there is no such name called Evans Nuamah as the manager of the hotel. Our investigations have proven that the name of the hotel is Castro.
I will therefore like to place on record that I have never booked any hotel room neither have I stashed any ballot paper in a hotel as being speculated.
I want to tell the NDC faces behind this statement that any attempt to draw me into their evil plans will never succeed.
Signed
Andy Owusu
Special Aide to Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako
NPP Regional Chairman, Ashanti
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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin