Foreign papers found in Northern ballot boxes

COUNTING for the Northern regional seat was suspended on Tuesday after “foreign ballot papers” were discovered inside the counting venue.
The ballot papers were not marked and contained what was believed to be ghost names not on the provincial electoral rolls.
Provincial police commander Victor Isouve said elections manager Peter Malaifeope had lodged a police report.
“We want to know how the papers got in there,” Isouve said.
The first lot of illegal ballots was discovered on count 35.
He said another batch of foreign papers was found during count 55.
“We suspect the papers were put there after quality checks,” he said.
“After we get the serial numbers of the papers and trace them we will call in some people for questioning,” he said.
“The ballot papers look like they were extra ballot papers that were never returned,” he said.
Former Customs Department head, Garry Juffa, is leading with 8,172 votes for the provincial seat.
Isouve also denied allegations by disgruntled supporters of candidates that Malaifeope and he were compromising their positions.
“I am a career police officer and I do not involve myself in such acts,” he said.