*As Akatsi Police Rubbishes Crusading Guide Story*

By Alfred K. Dogbey

The Akatsi District Police Commander, DSP D. Fiakpui, has refuted media reports which sought to allege that his office was being used by politicians to intimidate supporters of the parliamentary hopeful, Lawyer Evans Gadeto Djikunu, to give an unfair edge to the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon Doe Adjaho.

He revealed that the his outfit was rather investigating complaints lodged by three persons that Mr Djikunu’s supporters had forged their signatures on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) nomination forms to enable him contest the upcoming parliamentary primary in the Ave-Avenor Constituency.

Sounding very furious during an exclusive interview with The Herald last Friday, the district police boss was emphatic no one can influence him and his men in their work, adding he is discharging his duties professionally, and will not subject his outfit to the manipulation of any individual to achieve a political ambition.

He told The Herald that the case of forgery was still under investigation. Three men were arrested but were later granted bail.

Meanwhile, interesting revelations emanating from the NDC Volta Regional office, including documents cited by The Herald suggested that Mr Djikunu may have a difficult task sailing through the process towards contesting the primary due to the forgery and document falsification claims.

Judith Dzedor, Cecilia Ahanogbe, Awudi Joseph, Sedzro Evelyn, Dzamesi Faustine and Obed Atsuvia have reported to the constituency executive that their signatures have been forged by the campaign team of Mr Djikunu, led by one Mr. Francis Tenge.

Apart from the forgery, Lawyer Djikunu’s nomination forms bore the names of people who are not card bearing members of the NDC, while signatories to the forms were known members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Another interesting thing discovered was that a teenager, one Cecilia Ahanogbe, who is not qualified by law to vote, was also forced to append her signatures on the nomination form of Lawyer Djikunu.

Ms Ahanogbe was later discovered to be a 17-year-old teenager of the Ave-Dakpa Senior High School. She was forced by one Emmanuel Fodi, a known NPP activist, to endorse Lawyer Djikunu’s form.

Further claims had it that the party card presented by Mr Evans Djikunu did not bear any registration number. He could also not produce his voter registration card.

Meanwhile, records from the Live Branch of the NDC, which he had laid claim to in the nomination form as his branch, revealed he is not a card bearing member of the NDC.

This had been confirmed by the Branch Chairman for Live, Mathias Dogbey, in a document made available to The Herald.

Another document also in the custody of this paper is a letter from the Akatsi District Electoral Commission office saying Mr. Dzikunu is not a registered voter at the Live Pollen Station.

Meanwhile, one Mr Ahiataku Enoch, a known NPP Polling Agent, who also endorsed the form, gave evidence to the panel during vetting that “when they came to me for an endorsement, I told them that I’m an NPP polling station chairman but Mr Dahume William, his campaign manager, said it is not a problem, therefore, I can sign the form.”

Family sources told The Herald that an ex-schoolmate of Lawyer Djikunu from the Donkorkrom Senior Seconardy School in the Afram Plains and now working with Kwaku Baaku’s New Crusading Guide is used by the aspirant to push the never-ending misleading stories. More to come!