There is palpable political tension mounting in the Korle Klottey Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) following a late announcement that the constituency’s postponed election will be held on Saturday, amidst allegations of fraud and deceit levelled against one of the contenders in the race.
The party has been warned against the consequence of compromising the rules of engagement since such a development is dangerous for the party’s internal democracy.
Meanwhile reports reaching The New Crusading GUIDE as at press time yesterday indicated Nii Noi Nortey the parliamentary hopeful accused of submitting a fake certificate from the University of Ghana to his party’s vetting committee has been cleared to take part in the election slated for Saturday, 25 July 2015 under mysterious circumstances.
Events leading up to this decision smacked of the ugly under-belly of political scheming and plots which ended up in the tinkering of the democratic process to give some advantage to the so called darling boy of some selected few executives at the party’s top hierarchy
VETTING COMMITTEE REPORT
A report from the regional vetting committee intercepted by this paper observed: Among the documents the applicant presented to the Vetting Committee includes a University of Ghana certificate bearing his name. As a practice, the applicant was reminded of the oath he has sworn on page 14 on the Nomination Form. Soon after the vetting commenced, the applicant requested and handed over the nomination form to him. In his own hand writing and in the presence of Committee members he cancelled the information he provided on his education achievement.
The Committee acknowledged that “there was a petition before the vetting committee challenging the authenticity of the university of Ghana certificate. The petitioner presented to the committee a photocopy of the same certificate the applicant presented to the vetting committee”. But said though it found his action to withdraw the certificate inappropriate and very curious, the committee did not quiz him any further on his educational achievement.
GHANA POLICE
On the same matter, the Fraud Unit of the Police Criminal Investigations Department in a letter titled “REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE” and addressed to the Greater Accra Regional secretary of the NPP stated that the security service was investigating an alleged case of forgery of document and being in possession of forged document involving Nii Nortey.
The letter continued: “Valentino Nii Nortey was alleged to have presents to the Korley Klottey Constituency office of the NPP a University of Ghana Certificate indicating he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science in 2005.
Although the Police requested the NPP to furnish its outfit with the aspirant’s vetting documents the party has since failed to do and rather shielded him until the news that he has been cleared.
These developments are fueling rumours that the party is working in cahoots with Nii Nortey to ensure that the dodgy certificate he paraded does not receive the censure of the law.
DENIAL
In all these what comes close to a denial from the aspirant is this claim: “I haven’t discussed or submitted any University of Ghana document to anybody or individual…it’s a personal document I submitted to the NPP’s Vetting Committee so if they wish to make claims or open up any issue on the form, so be it before I can answer… I have gone through vetting; I’ve been cleared to contest. Those allegations are false.”
Party top officials have since been quiet about the issue. An official who was worried about these happenings agreed to speak to this paper on conditions of anonymity.
He said “it is very worrying. I don’t understand why the party is keeping the Youngman in the race. People have been disqualified for lessen offences and even on moral grounds, so why close your eyes and watch this happen. Should he win on our ticket, what will our opponents say about us? What we should all know is that crime is crime and it has no time bounds”.
<<Print>>