The Kumasi High Court has set 20th October 2022 as the date to commence full trial in the matter involving Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka, the rejected Municipal Chief Executive nominee for Juaben in the Ashanti Region, who is facing 26 corruption charges.
The office of the Special Prosecutor opened investigations into bribery allegations against Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka after he was seen in a viral video demanding a refund of monies he had allegedly paid to assembly members, supposedly to facilitate his approval, after he was rejected for the second time.
Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka who is also the Juaben NPP Constituency Chairman, during his previous appearance in court however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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He appeared before the court for the second time on Wednesday, June 29, 2022.
Lawyers for Sarfo-Kantanka and lawyers from the Office of the Special Prosecutor during the case management conference agreed that the substantive matter should be looked at from 20th October 20.
Background
The suspended Juaben Municipal Chief Executive nominee, Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka, is facing 26 corruption charges in respect of a public election following a probe by the Special Prosecutor’s office.
Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka, the New Patriotic Party’s Juaben constituency Chairman, was the subject of an investigation after being captured in a video in November 2021 accusing assembly members in Juaben of refusing to confirm his nomination as the Municipal Chief Executive despite allegedly bribing them.
He had failed to secure the required number of votes to confirm him as the Chief Executive of the Juaben Municipal Assembly and was captured in the video demanding his money back from the assembly members.
According to the Special Prosecutor’s findings, Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka gifted the elected members of the Assembly GH¢5,000 each.
He is said to have also gifted the Government appointed members GHS2,500 each to influence their conduct in the performance of their duty as voters.
The election was held on September 29, 2021 and Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka failed to secure the required number of votes for confirmation as Municipal Chief Executive.
He also failed after being renominated for the same position by the President on October 12, 2021, and on November 1, 2021, and the accused again failed to secure the required number of votes.
The assembly currently has no chief executive, and its residents have made appeals to the central government.