Dean of studies and research at the Local Government Studies, Frederick Agyarko Oduro, has criticised President Akufo-Addo’s nominees for Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) job for allegedly using emissaries to share money to influence votes.

His comment follows a recent reports on the Juaben Municipal Assembly where the President’s MCE nominee, Alex Sarfo Kantanka was seen in a video demanding for a refund of the money he allegedly bribed the assembly members with to influence them to vote on his behalf.

According to him, it is criminal for MCE nominees to use money to influence votes at the assembly level.

He urged the police service to conduct a thorough investigation about the case and punish the perpetrators involved in the act.

He added that such acts have negatively affected governance at the local level.

In an interview with JoyNews on the AM show, Mr. Agyarko said, “sometimes some of these nominees may not be the actual people giving money, they may send emissary or other individuals who are interested in the nominee’s position may be the one encouraging some of these, all that is criminal and we should treat it as such; if we are able to do that, I think we can overcome the challenge”.

Alex Kantanka was rejected twice by the Assembly Members in the constituency after he accumulated only 10 votes out of the total 26, with a rejected ballot.

One of the Assembly Members, Patrick Yeboah, in an interview with a Luv FM reporter, claimed he was assaulted by the nominee after the election.

On his second attempt, the MCE nominee, Alex Kantanka was alleged to have bribe the assembly members with an amount of ¢5000 to lure them into voting for him.

However, the assembly members did not vote for the MCE nominee as he expected and he lost the elections.

In a viral video, the MCE nominee was seriously altercating with one of the assembly members and demanded for his money to be refunded. Mr. Alex Kantanka was subsequently arrested by the police and released on bail.

The special prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng later invited the MCE nominee for interrogations concerning bribery and corruption.