The Ghana Police Service has arrested five persons for allegedly engaging in various registration offences and malpractices during the mass registration exercise being conducted in the Ashanti Region by the National Identification Authority (NIA).
The arrests, which occurred between January 3 and January 6, 2020, were the result of a collaboration between NIA and some aggrieved citizens in the Ashanti Region who provided to NIA relevant incriminating evidence on the conduct of the suspects and also identified them to the Police.
The suspects were picked up for engaging in registration malpractices at the ongoing exercise which ends on January 16, 2020.
Four of the persons are NIA Registration Officials, while one is not. Below are their identities:
1. Kenneth Sarfo Boateng – Commissioner for Oaths (CFO), Church of Christ Registration Centre, Nyinampong, Asante-Mampong
2. Ransford Omane Osei – Mobile Registration Workstation Operator (MRWO), Ampaabame Registration Centre near Ejisu;
3. De-graft Osei Mensah – Supervising Registration Officer (SRO), Kentinkrono M/A Primary School Registration Centre at KNUST;
4. Emmanuel Edusei Poku – District Registration Supervisor (DRS) Kentinkrono M/A Primary School Registration Centre at KNUST; and
5. Kwabena Dan – a resident of Nyinampong.
All the suspects have been granted Police enquiry bail and will be assisting the police in investigations.
The management of NIA has admitted breach of the relevant provisions of the Public Service Code of Conduct.
“Management has further determined the said conduct also constitutes an egregious violation of applicable internal rules and regulations governing the conduct of NIA registration officials. Accordingly, the Executive Secretary has directed the immediate dismissal of the said officials,” a release by Head of Corporate Affairs at NIA, Francis Palmdeti noted.
NIA further explained that the entity “deeply appreciates the public-spirited efforts of those residents of the Ashanti Region, including an investigative journalist at Kumasi-based Abusua FM and another journalist at The Chronicle newspaper whose vigilance, sacrifice and commitment to good citizenship enabled NIA and the ghana police to collaboratively pursue the measures that resulted in the arrest of the said persons”.