After nearly two years of legal proceedings, the High Court in Kumasi has acquitted and discharged Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka, the former nominee for Juaben Municipal Chief Executive under President Akufo-Addo.
Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka had faced 26 counts of corruption-related charges stemming from a public election and was prosecuted following a viral video in which he was seen demanding refunds of money he allegedly paid to assembly members.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor initiated the case in May 2022, accusing him of paying GH¢5,000 to each elected assembly member and GH¢2,500 to each government appointee to secure votes during his failed MCE confirmation in 2021.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori held that while the video evidence showed Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka demanding the return of funds, it did not conclusively prove the payments were intended to influence the outcome of the vote.
The judge concluded that the prosecution failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the money was given as bribes in the context of the election.
Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka was first arraigned on October 20, 2022, but maintained his innocence throughout the trial.
