Police have completed investigations into an incident at the Camptown Community Centre where a man was caught holding a ballot box and are awaiting advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
According to Crime Chief Seelall Persaud, the male suspect has been released on station bail and the case file was sent to the DPP’s Chambers. Stabroek News understands that it arrived there early yesterday afternoon.
Persaud had told this newspaper last week that the man was found holding a ballot box at the Campbellville polling place on November 28.
Persaud said police are investigating how he came to be in possession of the box as “he wasn’t supposed to handle it”.
Simone Mangal, a board member of the Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB) had told Stabroek News that someone went into the polling station after the close of poll and later an APNU polling agent saw an exchange between a Gecom official and the person who was allowed unfettered access to the compound. She said the APNU agent raised an alarm and police arrested the man.
According to Mangal, people were told that the man was there to “assist with the counting” of the votes at the polling station.
Persons who witnessed the incident said the man emerged from a car that had been parked outside the location. He then went to the fence and (someone) came and opened the gate to allow him access into the compound. It was the APNU polling agent who witnessed the exchange of money between the man and the Gecom employee.
