The Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, Prof. Kingsley Nyarko, has been reportedly arrested by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The report added that the arrest is allegedly related to his involvement in a suspected act of corruption that was captured on video during the Ejisu by-election on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.
The OSP is investigating the matter after the Electoral Commission referred the case to it as it pertains to corruption during a public election.
It has also been reported that investigators from the OSP arrested and questioned several interested parties involved in the case, over the corruption allegations.
It will be recalled that Professor Kingsley Nyarko was caught on live TV dropping a white envelope on a table where two EC officials were, during the Ejisu by-election.
It was later determined that the Kwadaso MP said the money, the content of the envelope, was lunch money he had given to the EC officials.
The EC, in a statement on the incident, said it had taken the two officials off post and started investigations into the matter.
The Commission also called for criminal investigations into their conduct that involved the duo: Regina Serwaa, a Ballot Issuer, and George Sau, the Presiding Officer at the Church of Pentecost Polling Station at Fumesua, at Ejisu.
Moreover, Election Watch Ghana, a civil society organization, has lodged a petition with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate the MP.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso Dr. Kingsley Nyarko has denied the allegation of bribing officials of the Electoral Commission during the Ejisu by-election held on Tuesday, April 30.
He noted that his action was in good faith, contrary to reports that the money was meant to bribe or influence the officials.
“If I were to influence them do you think I would do it in a public space? If I wanted to do that do you think I would have done that in public space? I did not bribe anybody to vote or to do anything untoward for my candidate”.
Prof. Kingsley Nyarko
The Member of Parliament further noted that he cannot influence the EC officials, who are trained, honest, and disciplined personnel, to do anything untoward.
NPP’s Motive Questioned
Prior to the incident, the Member of Parliament was reported to have said that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) would do anything to win the Ejisu election, emphasizing that the Ejisu seat means a lot to the NPP in terms of the political dynamics in the Ashanti region and the country at large.
The MP’s actions have raised questions about his intentions behind providing money to poll officials under the guise of goodwill, prompting scrutiny of his motives and potential ulterior purposes.
As such, the MP’s actions have cast a shadow of doubt over the legitimacy of the Ejisu by-election outcome, as the electoral process has been marred by widespread vote-buying allegations, which in turn raise concerns about the integrity and credibility of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a political entity.
Moreover, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, responded to the bribery allegations against the Member of Parliament, stating that the MP in question is a person of impeccable character and integrity.
He emphasized that it is unlikely that the MP would engage in any behavior that would tarnish his reputation or compromise his values.
As such, the Ashanti Regional Chairman expressed confidence in the MP’s commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards and dismissed the allegations as unfounded.
Despite the controversy surrounding the Ejisu by-election, Ashanti Regional Chairman Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako declared the NPP’s victory, emphasizing that the party remains focused and undeterred by the allegations.
