NCD ballot box ‘seller’ gets nabbed
By John Pangkatana Post Courier
AN election related swindle came off second-best for a man in Port Moresby yesterday.
The man was nabbed by police and angry candidates at Vision City after he tried to induce National Capital District regional candidate Margaret Loko to pay for information on the location of two ballot boxes full with ballot papers in the possession of an intending candidate.
He also said he had information on security elements and electoral officers that colluded with the intending candidate to snare the two boxes.
He is understood to have attempted to sell the information to other candidates without much luck.
The suspect initially texted Ms Loko saying that he knew where two ballot boxes were located with an intending candidate and if she was interested in them she should call him back.
He further texted her saying that when they meet at Vision City he will also tell her how the boxes will be later moved into the holding area allegedly by his corrupted cohorts.
After setting up a meet with Ms Loko at Vision City, he told her to put K500 up front and then a further K4500 when he gives directions.
Ms Loko was also caught up at the same time with her fellow NCD candidates trying in vain to get an audience with the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen to receive their petition on discrepancies during polling.
They allege that numerous ballot papers and boxes are on the streets and not in the holding area as anticipated. Ms Loko said the candidates who have banded together want Mr Trawen to listen to their issues.
They also allege that countless ballot boxes and papers that are in the holding area have already been tampered with and they request that electronic counting be used to ensure no foreign ballot papers are counted.
She then told the candidates about the text and suggested that this could be a grand opportunity to add weight to their claims.
The meet with the suspect now became the focal point. With the support of police the candidates placed themselves at various locations at Vision City to ensure that the suspect if he arrives does not escape.
“I was sitting with my daughter when the suspect appeared and sat next to my daughter. When I told him that I didn’t have the money, he said no information would be given until the K500 down-payment is made,” she said.
“I was curious about how he got my number and he said the number was given by a prominent candidate (named). I was shocked but I was more interested on the whereabouts of the ballot boxes and papers,” she added.
The suspect then left but when the candidates noticed that he didn’t have anything on him they didn’t want him to get away, and with police support they caught him.
The suspect as of 8pm last night was at Boroko Police Station under interrogation to establish the location of the alleged boxes and papers that he knew of.
The candidates who were all there in force last night included regional aspirants Lawrence Yurus, and Stanley Kaka, Moresby North West challengers Jericho Karato, Jamuga Stone, Brian Walters, Jacob Sekewa and Moresby North East candidate Solomon Kewa.
Mr Stone requested all open and regional candidates with related issues to meet at the Trade Union Congress office at 10am this morning for an important briefing
The man was nabbed by police and angry candidates at Vision City after he tried to induce National Capital District regional candidate Margaret Loko to pay for information on the location of two ballot boxes full with ballot papers in the possession of an intending candidate.
He also said he had information on security elements and electoral officers that colluded with the intending candidate to snare the two boxes.
He is understood to have attempted to sell the information to other candidates without much luck.
The suspect initially texted Ms Loko saying that he knew where two ballot boxes were located with an intending candidate and if she was interested in them she should call him back.
He further texted her saying that when they meet at Vision City he will also tell her how the boxes will be later moved into the holding area allegedly by his corrupted cohorts.
After setting up a meet with Ms Loko at Vision City, he told her to put K500 up front and then a further K4500 when he gives directions.
Ms Loko was also caught up at the same time with her fellow NCD candidates trying in vain to get an audience with the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen to receive their petition on discrepancies during polling.
They allege that numerous ballot papers and boxes are on the streets and not in the holding area as anticipated. Ms Loko said the candidates who have banded together want Mr Trawen to listen to their issues.
They also allege that countless ballot boxes and papers that are in the holding area have already been tampered with and they request that electronic counting be used to ensure no foreign ballot papers are counted.
She then told the candidates about the text and suggested that this could be a grand opportunity to add weight to their claims.
The meet with the suspect now became the focal point. With the support of police the candidates placed themselves at various locations at Vision City to ensure that the suspect if he arrives does not escape.
“I was sitting with my daughter when the suspect appeared and sat next to my daughter. When I told him that I didn’t have the money, he said no information would be given until the K500 down-payment is made,” she said.
“I was curious about how he got my number and he said the number was given by a prominent candidate (named). I was shocked but I was more interested on the whereabouts of the ballot boxes and papers,” she added.
The suspect then left but when the candidates noticed that he didn’t have anything on him they didn’t want him to get away, and with police support they caught him.
The suspect as of 8pm last night was at Boroko Police Station under interrogation to establish the location of the alleged boxes and papers that he knew of.
The candidates who were all there in force last night included regional aspirants Lawrence Yurus, and Stanley Kaka, Moresby North West challengers Jericho Karato, Jamuga Stone, Brian Walters, Jacob Sekewa and Moresby North East candidate Solomon Kewa.
Mr Stone requested all open and regional candidates with related issues to meet at the Trade Union Congress office at 10am this morning for an important briefing
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