NDC Effutu candidate charged with offensive conduct in ongoing voter registration

The Effutu Constituency Parliamentary Candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr James Kofi Annan, has been hauled before the Winneba Magistrate Court over an alleged offensive conduct in relation to the ongoing voter registration exercise.

Mr Annan is alleged to have stormed a meeting of the committee overseeing the challenge cases last Tuesday and had an altercation with the Acting Commandant of the Police Command and Staff College in Winneba, Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr Samuel Asiedu Okanta.

Charge

Mr Annan has been charged with offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace, contrary to Section 207(1) of the Criminal Offences Act 29/60 when he appeared before the court.

He was granted bail by the court presided over by Mr Anthony Oheneba Kufuor and would reappear on July 28, this year .

Prosecutions facts

The facts of the case presented by the prosecution led by Sergeant Dorinda Azumah were that, the complainant is Samuel Asiedu Okanta whereas the accused, James Kofi Annan, is a social entrepreneur and the NDC parliamentary candidate for Effutu for the upcoming general election on December 7, 2020.

According to her, around 9:30 a.m last Tuesday (July 21, 2020), Okanta was chairing a voter registration challenge committee meeting at the Latter Day Saints Church at Winneba Junction when suddenly James Kofi Annan walked in and asked the Municipal Electoral Officer why the committee was having a hearing without a representative of the NDC.

He mentioned that the complainant approached the accused and told him that he was the chairman of the committee and, therefore, if the accused had any grievances, he should address him rather.

He stated that the response by the complainant did not go down well with the accused and he replied to wit “If you are the chairman of the committee and so what? You are the reason why we are not enjoying peace in Winneba town”.

The prosecutor said, “the statement by the accused was intended to provoke breach of the peace and he was arrested and after investigations arraigned.”