An independent parliamentary candidate in the Efutu Constituency of the Central Region, Louisa Buabeng, has been arrested by the Winneba Divisional Police Command.
The candidate was arrested immediately after court proceedings at the Winneba High Court where she was seeking for an injunction on the December 7 parliamentary elections as she accused the Electoral Commission of leaking her nomination documents to the public.
The storming of the court premises by the heavily armed policemen created a near chaotic situation which caught the attention of the judge, Her Ladyship Justice Marriam Agyeman Gyasi Jawhary, who ordered the police to abort the arrest process stating emphatically that such actions portray law enforcement in bad image.
Even though she also ordered for the police to exercise restraints and count on the candidate’s lawyer to bring her to the station later, the police team accompanied the candidate’s vehicle to the command right after the court proceedings.
While specific charges have not been pressed against her, 3News.com has learnt through the candidate’s lawyer, Jennifred Maurice Adjei, that an individual has petitioned the police command over suspicions that the independent candidate fraudulently procured the signature of one of her nominees.
The lawyer believes this is not a sufficient ground to detain the candidate, especially when she has been cleared and already appearing on the ballot.
The parliamentary election in the Constituency is being contested by the incumbent NPP MP Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the NDC PC Dr James Kofi Annan and the independent PC who has been arrested, Louisa Buabeng.
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