Kumasi High Court Clears NPP’s Sarfo-Kantanka of Bribery Charges

The High Court in Kumasi has acquitted and discharged the New Patriotic Party’s Constituency Chairman for Juaben in the Ashanti Region, Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka, in the alleged bribery case during his confirmation as nominee for the Municipal Chief Executive position.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor opened investigations into the allegations after Sarfo-Kantanka was seen in a viral video demanding a refund of monies he had allegedly paid to assembly members, supposedly to facilitate his approval after he was rejected for the second time.

Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka faced 26 corruption charges for allegedly giving out bribes to assembly members in the Juaben Municipal Assembly to facilitate his approval as Municipal Chief Executive when then President Akufo-Addo nominated him for the position.

The court sustained 23 counts and asked the accused’s lawyers to open their defence on the remaining three counts.

The High Court commenced the full trial against Sarfo-Kantanka on October 20, 2022, following the 2021 incident which saw him confront some members of the Assembly to demand a refund of monies paid to them to confirm him.

During the trial, the prosecution closed its case after calling three witnesses—all Assembly Members—who denied receiving any money from the nominee at the time.

Sarfo-Kantanka, in the course of the trial, pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was granted GH¢90,000 bail.

The presiding judge was later transferred but filed a case completion plan to enable her to conclude the matter.

In delivering her ruling, Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori said there was no direct evidence linking the nominee’s demand for a refund to the alleged bribery, although he was captured in the viral video.

Counsel for the accused, Kwame Adom Appiah, said his client went through trauma during the trial.