Two East New Britain Regional counting officials are currently under investigation for alleged vote rigging.
Early this week, two women, who are senior public servants, were removed from the Regional counting venue at the Kokopo Secondary School after scrutineers noticed inconsistencies with figures.
They claimed the women gave 2,000 extra votes to leading candidate Leo Dion.
“The allowable ballot for that count was 4,000-plus compared to the Gazelle team’s figure of 2,111,” said the scrutineers.
“What was recorded on the (tally) board for count 3 raised alarm because the figures did not correspond to the Gazelle scrutineers’.”
The scrutineers told Loop PNG that Dion allegedly picked up 2,068 votes from count 3.
“The first counter confidently said it was 2,068 while the recorder told us: ‘It was neatly done’.”
The electoral committee then started looking through their paperwork after the scrutineers created a commotion.
“It was then that they found out that 2,000 votes were added onto candidate 14’s count.”
The women were then removed from the venue.
Meanwhile, ENB provincial police commander, Joseph Tabali, confirmed the incident with Loop PNG.
“They probably conspired with each other,” PPC Tabali said.
“The election investigating team is working on the matter. Very soon, appropriate charges will be laid.”
PPC Tabali said one of the women works with the Vunamami LLG while the other with the East New Britain Provincial Administration.
(Loop file pic)