06-08-2012, 07:07 PM
Ballot boxes hijacked
By Makereta Komai
6:25 pm GMT+12, 08/06/2012, Papua New Guinea
This year’s first election-related arrests were made yesterday when members of the Highlands-deployed security forces intercepted 1200 ballot boxes hijacked from Kagamuga Airport in Hagen bound for Mendi.
Members of the disciplinary forces identified the suspects as provincial election manager for Mendi David Wakias, provincial returning officer Timothy Joseph, a member of Police Mobile 10 unit based in Mendi and six locals from Upper Mendi.
Police believe the men intended to drop the boxes off at strategic locations – instead of official polling booths – and have them filled with stolen ballot papers marked with votes for their preferred candidates. This would, in effect, give additional and illegal votes to those candidates.
Police confirmed charges had been laid and the suspects will appear in court this morning.
Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen said he was yet to receive a full report on the incident but was aware officials in Mendi had been arrested and locked up in Hagen by members of the PNGDF.
Trawen was disappointed this had happened but said however, these were only ballot boxes and not ballot papers. As election manager designated for the Mendi area, Wakias was there to pick up his ballot boxes, Mr Trawen said.
He said the police commissioner is on the ground and will contact him with more information on the incident.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah said he has always made his position clear that the Commission must defer the elections.
“I was always critical about these issues and criticising the PNGEC but time and time again I was criticised for making bad decisions,” he said.
“I am from Sepik and I knew all along that we were appointing their political animals to save their plight.
“I come from a background of (Military) Intelligence and I was predicting this would occur. I wanted a State of Emergency to be declared in all trouble-infested areas to avoid any disturbances in the election,” Mr Namah said.
Members of the disciplinary forces confirmed that an Australian Military C-130 arrived with 1200 ballot boxes and the arrangement on the ground was for the boxes to go to Kagamuga Police Barracks before being escorted to their designated locations.
SOURCE:
However, Mr Wakias and Mr Joseph loaded the ballot boxes into six hired vehicles and ignored the security arrangements.
They were on their way out to Mendi with the boxes when members of the PNGDF intercepted them at Togoba Junction.
A search discovered most of the boxes loaded into one vehicle. A further ten were found in the provincial election manager’s vehicle while 10 others into the returning officer’s vehicle.
“This raised suspicions and the fact that they ignored our security arrangements, we firmly believed they could unload the other boxes in undesignated locations to fill when the ballot papers arrived,” a member of the security force said.
“We allowed them to transport the ballot boxes because they were officials in-charge of the election in that area but security forces waited in vain, only to be informed that they escaped with the boxes,” he said.
By Makereta Komai
6:25 pm GMT+12, 08/06/2012, Papua New Guinea
This year’s first election-related arrests were made yesterday when members of the Highlands-deployed security forces intercepted 1200 ballot boxes hijacked from Kagamuga Airport in Hagen bound for Mendi.
Members of the disciplinary forces identified the suspects as provincial election manager for Mendi David Wakias, provincial returning officer Timothy Joseph, a member of Police Mobile 10 unit based in Mendi and six locals from Upper Mendi.
Police believe the men intended to drop the boxes off at strategic locations – instead of official polling booths – and have them filled with stolen ballot papers marked with votes for their preferred candidates. This would, in effect, give additional and illegal votes to those candidates.
Police confirmed charges had been laid and the suspects will appear in court this morning.
Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen said he was yet to receive a full report on the incident but was aware officials in Mendi had been arrested and locked up in Hagen by members of the PNGDF.
Trawen was disappointed this had happened but said however, these were only ballot boxes and not ballot papers. As election manager designated for the Mendi area, Wakias was there to pick up his ballot boxes, Mr Trawen said.
He said the police commissioner is on the ground and will contact him with more information on the incident.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah said he has always made his position clear that the Commission must defer the elections.
“I was always critical about these issues and criticising the PNGEC but time and time again I was criticised for making bad decisions,” he said.
“I am from Sepik and I knew all along that we were appointing their political animals to save their plight.
“I come from a background of (Military) Intelligence and I was predicting this would occur. I wanted a State of Emergency to be declared in all trouble-infested areas to avoid any disturbances in the election,” Mr Namah said.
Members of the disciplinary forces confirmed that an Australian Military C-130 arrived with 1200 ballot boxes and the arrangement on the ground was for the boxes to go to Kagamuga Police Barracks before being escorted to their designated locations.
SOURCE:
However, Mr Wakias and Mr Joseph loaded the ballot boxes into six hired vehicles and ignored the security arrangements.
They were on their way out to Mendi with the boxes when members of the PNGDF intercepted them at Togoba Junction.
A search discovered most of the boxes loaded into one vehicle. A further ten were found in the provincial election manager’s vehicle while 10 others into the returning officer’s vehicle.
“This raised suspicions and the fact that they ignored our security arrangements, we firmly believed they could unload the other boxes in undesignated locations to fill when the ballot papers arrived,” a member of the security force said.
“We allowed them to transport the ballot boxes because they were officials in-charge of the election in that area but security forces waited in vain, only to be informed that they escaped with the boxes,” he said.
