A former member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who has defected to the Movement for Change, Hopeson Adorye, has made a U-turn on his claims of using dynamite to scare voters in the Volta Region during the 2016 election.

Mr Adorye has said he rather used fire crackers.

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.

He explained that in the video, the accused was seen and heard saying, among other things, that before 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.

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

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

He was on Thursday granted a GH¢20,000.00 bail by a Dansoman Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Alima El Lawah Basit, after pleading not guilty to the charge.

He has also been ordered to execute the bail bond with two sureties, one of which should be justified and to report to the police station once a week.

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

The court hearing attracted members of the Movement for Change, including Patricia Christabel Kyerematen, wife of the founder, Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten.