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The High Court in Kumasi has acquitted and discharged Alexander Kwabena Sarfo-Kantanka, the former nominee for Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Juaben under the Nana Akuffo Addo government in the Ashanti Region, of all 26 counts of corruption relating to a public election.
Sarfo-Kantanka had been under investigation since November 2021, after a viral video showed him angrily demanding refunds from assembly members he allegedly bribed in a failed bid to secure their votes during his confirmation.
The incident sparked widespread criticism and led to a probe by the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
In court, however, Justice Priscilla Dikro Ofori ruled that while the footage was widely circulated, it failed to provide sufficient evidence that the monies exchanged were meant to influence the electoral outcome.
The judge held that the prosecution could not prove that the cash transfers constituted bribery under Ghanaian law.
Mr. Sarfo-Kantanka was first summoned by the Special Prosecutor on November 9, 2021, following his arrest by police after the video surfaced.
He was accused of attempting to induce assembly members with cash gifts in exchange for their votes. Despite the controversy and initial public backlash, he consistently denied the charges.
