Four individuals accused of stealing EC laptops remanded

Four individuals accused of stealing Biometric Voter Registration kits from the Electoral Commission (EC) have been charged with four counts of theft and dishonest receipt of stolen property.

They have been placed in police custody.

Among the accused are three EC employees—Philip Lartey, a laborer; Benyamin Fianyi, a security officer; and Joseph Blankson Adumadzie, a database administrator—along with a student, Clifford Yeboah.

The three commission staff members face charges of theft and conspiracy to steal, while the student, Yeboah, faces a charge of dishonest receipt.

All four have pleaded not guilty. According to case details, five Dell laptops, components of the stolen Biometric Voter Registration kits, were reported missing.

Subsequent investigation led to the recovery of three HP laptops from Yeboah, the student, and a printer and three biometric verification device chargers from Fianyi, the security officer.

Police findings indicate that the theft occurred on March 9, 2024, when commission officials tasked casual workers and security personnel with relocating materials from their former headquarters to a warehouse.

The scheme allegedly originated from Fianyi and Adumadzie, who conspired to steal HP printers.

Adumadzie purportedly stole a printer from a kit box and passed it to an accomplice (referred to as "A2"), who then stole three biometric verification device chargers.

Another accomplice (referred to as "A1") allegedly took three HP laptops from the kit boxes, keeping one and planning to repair the others.

5 EC officials interdicted over missing BVDs

Earlier, five EC officials have been suspended pending investigation for their suspected involvement in the theft of Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs).

The individuals in question have been turned over to the police to facilitate further inquiries.

Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, disclosed these developments while providing an update on the situation regarding the missing devices.

He emphasized the significance of involving law enforcement to conduct thorough investigations into the matter.