The Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) for Hube LLG, in Finschhafen district, Kamis Connery, was arrested by Morobe Provincial Command investigators on Friday, July 8th.
Connery was charged with ‘interfering with ballot papers/ballot boxes’ under section 191 of the Organic Law on National and Local-level Government Elections 1997.
Police alleged that on Saturday, July 2nd, Connery travelled to Finschhafen, from Lae, on a speedboat.
Investigator Simon Yandu, in his brief to the Provincial Police Commander, Jacob Singura, said the ARO transported election materials without contacting the security personnel’s zone commander for FISIKA (Finschhafen-Siassi-Kabwum).
Police claim the sensitive materials were then dropped off at Connery’s residence at Gagidu.
“It was further alleged that on Sunday, 03rd July, the defendant collected all the election materials, loaded (them) onto one of the Toyota Landcruiser station wagons and left Gagidu at around 1700hrs to Pindiu station,” reported Yandu.
On Tuesday, 05th July, police said polling officials and scrutineers received a message claiming ballot papers for Kotec LLG were hijacked.
It was claimed that the ARO then recalled the sensitive materials, where in the presence of polling officials and scrutineers, it was discovered that “11 books containing 550 ballot papers for ward seven” were missing.
Police said the missing materials were in the possession of a nursing officer – who is a polling official – at the Wagezaring health centre.
The investigators rechecked the materials and confirmed that the ballot papers were intact.
They reconfirmed the serial numbers and transported them back to the Finschhafen district headquarters.
PPC Singura told this newsroom that Connery’s arrest is the first “and other arrests would follow as investigation is progressing”.
“I should also wish to warn, particularly election officials and the public, not to carry out such illegal practices as the law would still catch up with them,” said the PPC.
(Scrutineers verifying the state of Burum-Kuat sensitive materials in the presence of security personnel at Gagidu, Finschhafen, on Saturday, July 9. The materials were recalled by the returning officer to dispel rumours of the hijacking and tampering of ballot papers)