Rejected Juaben MCE nominee in trouble as Special Prosecutor invites him over bribe

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has invited the embattled Municipal Chief Executive nominee for Juaben, Alex Sarfo Kantanka to assist in investigations over an alleged bribe he offered assembly members during an exercise to confirm him.

Per a letter signed by the OSP, Lawyer Kissi Agyebeng, Alex Sarfo Kantanka is directed to appear before the office on Tuesday, November 9, at 2:30 pm for interviewing accompanied by a counsel of his choice.

This invitation from the Office of the OSP, follows a similar one extended to Mr Alex Sarfo Kantanka by the Ashanti Regional Police Command to assist police investigations.

The rejected nominee was arrested on Monday 1st November 2021, in connection with a viral video of the nominee, Alex Sarfo Kantanka, allegedly demanding a refund of some sums of money he had allegedly paid to Assembly members to vote for his confirmation as the MCE for the Juaben Municipal Area.

He was subsequently bailed.

Background

The Juaben MCE-nominee and NPP Constituency Chairman, Alex Sarfo Kantanka, has been rejected again by the assembly members in his second attempt to secure a two-thirds majority of the total vote cast.

Despite all efforts by the NPP regional and constituency executives, some influential traditional leaders, the nominee still failed to win the hearts of the assembly members.

Out of the 26 total votes cast in the presence of the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, the nominee secured 10 Yes votes as against 15 No votes with 1 rejected ballot.

The disappointed nominee who could not control his emotions at the loss accosted an assembly member to return the bribe he took earlier before the confirmation.

According to Francis Yeboah Adumasah, an assembly member who doubles as the welfare committee chairman of the assembly, ”as a welfare chairman, it is my responsibility to get the assembly members who came for the assembly meeting their transportation, while going for the transport money from the finance officer the nominee attacked me to refund the money he gave me and so I informed the Ashanti regional minister Simon Osei-Mensah and his police bodyguard”.

“In our earlier meeting in which the nominee failed to secure the two-thirds majority of the total votes Yes, he gave money but not today’s election. The money he gave me I used for the work he assigned me to do so what’s his problem’?’ he questioned.

He described the rejected nominee as a ‘bitter loser’ explaining “you can’t win assembly elections without paying for electorate transportation.”

Member of Parliament for the Atwima-Nwabiagya South Constituency Emmanuel Adjei Anhwere, who was in the Juaben to monitor the election was also attacked by the disappointed nominee’s supporters.

However, the timely intervention of the police restored calm to the area.