Terence Hetinu

Hetinu, former NCD Election Manager in the 2017 National General Election (NGE), was committed to stand trial to answer to allegations of accepting a bribe valued at K184, 300, from a particular candidate during the 2017 NGE in NCD.

When giving evidence today, he revealed that the money found in his car by Police, was to pay for food rations and allowance for polling officials in the three electorates, who did not have bank accounts.

Gamato, former Electoral Commissioner, and Hetinu, then NCD Election Manager in the 2017 National General Elections (NGE), were committed to stand trial to answer to these allegations.

Police allege that the two had been bribed by a particular candidate with K184, 300 during the 2017 NGE in NCD.

This morning three state witnesses appeared before Justice Teresa Barrigan at the Waigani National Court to give evidence.

Returning Officer Terence Hetinu said police brought the counting official and a presiding officer to him to be questioned yesterday.

Hetinu said both denied that the money they received was bribery but were immediately dismissed from the counting venue.

“The counting officials are not to engage with candidates or campaign managers or supporters of a candidate in any way,” said the RO.

“They have breached that so I asked them to voluntarily leave the counting centre which they did, after a bit of resistance.

Election Returning Officer Terence Hetinu said they were able to kick start counting in the later part of today and hope to complete the process before October 19.

Returning Officer Hetinu said counting was scheduled for the 6^th but had to be moved because a church service did not conclude until late Sunday, October 7^th.

“We allowed (the church service) to continue. We were supposed to start preparing the arena on Monday but that didn’t happen due to some logistics preparations that didn’t go well for us.”

Motu Koita Assembly Election Returning Officer, Terence Hetinu, announced this during the issuing of writs.

He said the rumored K200 fee was not true.

Nominations will be done at the Electoral Commission Central Province Office at Boroko.

Meantime, nominations for the Motu Koita Local Level Government Elections opened at 4pm yesterday (August 30th).

This followed the announcement of the issuing of the writs by Minister for Inter-Government Relations, Kevin Isifu, yesterday.

The containers were kept under the close watch of the NCD Electoral officers.

The Court order comes after the Electoral Commission lawyer told court that they were having difficulties obtaining the keys for the containers.

This morning, under the supervision of the NCD Election Manager, Terence Hetinu, the containers were opened.

The process was witnessed by NCD Electoral officers, the petitioners; Michael Kandiu and Andy Bawa, with their lawyers and the Electoral Commission’s lawyers.

The then NCD election manager, Hetinu, and his assistant, Tabogani, were taken in for questioning on Tuesday (June 24) after police personnel noted their suspicious behaviour.

Hetinu was questioned after a large amount of money, valued at K184,300, was found in his possession. Tabogani, on the other hand, was allegedly transporting ballot boxes without police escort, and in a tinted vehicle.

 Electoral Commissioner, Patilias Gamato, made the announcement late this afternoon saying Hetinu and his assistant, Roslyn Tabogani, have been replaced.

Assuming the roles will be  Alvin Jimmy as Election Manager and Bale Kavanamur, as Assistant Election Manager.

The announcement was made in front of disgruntled NCD candidates who fronted the EC Headquarters today seeking to present a second petition to Gamato.

The first petition was handed to Gamato yesterday following the deferral of polling in the capital city.

NCD/Central Commander, Sylvester Kalaut, confirmed this in a press conference today.

Kalaut said Hetinu was arrested when he went there to advise the polling and police officials that NCD polling had been deferred.

"Because of that, it raised a lot of suspicions."

Kalaut said as management for the police, that was an advice that was supposed to come from the electoral commissioner. The date has been set and gazetted and polling has to be done within these scheduled dates.