EC official arrested for registering applicants with fake Ghana cards

An Electoral Commission (EC) registration officer has been arrested for registering applicants with fake Ghana card numbers in the ongoing limited registration exercise.

A statement from the commission said approximately 17 individuals were found to have utilized counterfeit Ghana Card numbers during the registration process at the Pusiga District Registration Centre on May 13, 2024.

Providing further details surrounding the fraudulent registrations, the EC said an investigation revealed that the registration officer had failed to properly verify the authenticity of the Ghana Card presented by each applicant.

Instead, the officer negligently accepted the counterfeit numbers provided by party agents who accompanied the 17 applicants to the registration centre.

The registration officer has since been granted a police enquiry bail while the police continue their investigations.

The 17 applicants in order not to violate their constitutional rights were subsequently registered using the guarantor system.

The EC emphasised the gravity of the situation, expressing deep concern over the breach of integrity in the registration process.

“The commission would like to warn all its Temporary Officials that it will not countenance the breach of its electoral laws. Any person found violating the laws of the commission will be handed over to the police and permanently blacklisted by the commission,” the EC warned.

Additionally, the commission assured all its stakeholders and the general public that the voter registration exercise is being conducted transparently and inclusively.

Below is a statement from the commission.