The High Court in Kumasi has acquitted and discharged Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka, former President Akufo-Addo’s nominee for Juaben Municipal Chief Executive in the Ashanti Region.
Sarfo-Kantanka had been facing 26 counts of corruption related to a public election since May 2022.
He was captured in a viral video allegedly demanding the return of money he reportedly paid to assembly members to secure confirmation of his nomination.
However, in her judgment, Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori held that the video did not establish that the money was intended to influence the votes of the assembly members.
Background
Mr Sarfo-Kantanka was accused of 26 counts of corruption, allegedly for distributing bribes to local assembly members to secure their approval as MCE of Juaben after he was appointed by former President Akufo-Addo.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor conducted an investigation into these allegations after a video went viral online showing Mr Sarfo-Kantanka demanding a refund of the money he had allegedly paid to the assembly members.
The full trial against Mr Sarfo-Kantanka began in the Kumasi High Court on October 20, 2022.
Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka allegedly gave each elected member of the assembly GH¢5,000 and GH¢2,500 to each government appointee.
In its statement at the time, the OSP said, “The accused admitted gifting the indicated sums of money to the respective categories of the assembly members to influence the outcome of the elections in his favor.”
The nominee was rejected for the second time after he failed to reach the two-thirds threshold needed.
He received 10 ‘Yes’ votes against 15 ‘No’ votes, with one ballot rejected.
Twenty out of 26 assembly members boycotted the previous process, citing heavy security presence at the venue.
After the process, Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka was captured in a viral video demanding his money.
The OSP disclosed in its statement that the failed nominee “went berserk and vented his wrath on the assembly members, angrily demanding a refund of the money he had gifted to them.”
The police arrested him and granted him self-recognizance bail on November 1, 2021.
In June 2023, the Kumasi High Court admitted as evidence a viral video in which the failed Juaben MCE nominee could be seen and heard demanding money from assembly members.