I used fire crackers not dynamite -Hopeson Adorye

Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, a member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) who has defected to the Movement for Change, is alleged to have used fire crackers and not dynamite to scare voters from crossing from Togo to vote in Ghana in the year 2016.

According to the police prosecution, Mr. Adorye has admitted to the content of a viral video that, he made a statement to the effect that he engaged the services of five people from the Volta Region to throw ‘dynamites’ along the Togo border to scare voters from crossing into Ghana to vote during the 2016 general elections.

Mr. Adorye has been slapped with publication of false news, contrary to section 208(1) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29).

He has been given a GH¢200,000.00 bail by a Dansoman Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Alima El Lawah Basit, after pleading not guilty to the charge.

The accused was ordered to execute the bail bond with two sureties, one of which should be justified.

Mr. Adorye was further ordered yesterday, May 23, 2024 to report to the police station once a week.

Presenting the brief facts of the case, Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder told the court that on May 2, 2024 the attention of the Police Administration was drawn to a video recording that had gone viral on social media, involving the accused, Hopeson Yaovi Adorye.

According to him, in the said video, the accused was seen and heard saying among other things that prior to the 2016 general elections, he took it upon himself to prevent Togolese from coming to vote in Ghana.

The said statement was made on Accra based radio station, Accra FM (100.5) on a programme called ‘The Citizen Show’, hosted by Nana Otu Darko.

The accused alleged that he engaged the services of five people from the Volta Region to throw ‘dynamites’ along the Ghana and Togo border in order to scare voters from crossing to vote in Ghana, during the 2016 general elections.

Mr. Adorye was arrested 20 days after the said statement was made for investigation.

In his investigation caution statement, he admitted to the content of the video and claimed that it was not ‘dynamite’ that was used, but rather ‘fire crackers’.

The case attracted members of the Movement for Change, including Patricia Christabel Kyerematen, wife of Mr Alan John Kwadwo Kyeremanten.