Enga police arrest man who pretended to be an official

By YVONNE HAIP
ENGA police have charged a man who entered the counting center in Wabag pretending to be a presiding officer, with 97 unmarked ballot papers in his possession yesterday.
Police alleged that Luso Apel, from Porea in Laiagam district, attempted to smuggle 97 ballot papers for the Laigap-Porgera open seat belonging to the Porea resthouse.
Security at the entrance caught him and found the ballot papers in his possession.
Provincial police commander Supt Martin Lakari said the suspect had a forged identification card as a presiding officer.
Lakari said the suspect was charged with being in possession of ballot papers and has been refused bail.
He said the ballot papers were supposed to be marked and in the ballot boxes.
It was illegal for any unauthorised person to have unmarked ballot papers in his or her possession after polling.
Apel will appear before the district court today.
Lakari warned that police and security forces would come down hard on people committing election-related offences.
Meanwhile, three suspects had been charged with murder for the gunning down of a man and his wife last Saturday.
And police are still looking for the teacher who had four empty ballot boxes and six bundles of ballot box tags in his house on Tuesday.
Counting began on Tuesday and is progressing well. Boxes for the Wapenamanda electorate are still in preparation for counting.