One of the allegations in Edith Gongloe-Weh’s complaint that ballots papers were allegedly open at the Magistrates office in Saniquille has been denied by the National Elections Commission (NEC) Magistrate in the county.
Taking the witness stand on Monday, January 18, 2021, Milton G. Paye, Election Magistrate for Upper Nimba who was temporarily assigned in lower Nimba County, told the hearing officer that supporters of Edith Gongloe-Weh mistakenly took the photo of the referendum ballots boxes for the senatorial ballot boxes that were used for the senatorial elections in Nimba and alleged that ballot boxes containing ballot papers were open
Testifying further, he presented a photo with yellow ballot boxes, which is believed to be the same photo presented by Edith as evidence against NEC in an attempt to establish a case of alleged fraud and irregularities that ballot boxes were allegedly tampered with.
Magistrate Paye clarified that two colors of ballot boxes were used during the senatorial election in Nimba County.
According to him, supporters of Edith Gongloe-Weh mistakenly took photo of the orange ballot boxes, which belonged to ballot papers for the referendum.
He told the hearing that the senatorial election had the blue color ballot boxes that contained senatorial ballot papers, while the yellow color ballot boxes were used for the referendum in the senatorial election in Nimba County.
Paye said the election held in Nimba County was smooth and transparent, “evidence that no complaint was filed and all the representatives signed the tally sheet”, among other things, he testified.
He also testified to the votes from upper and lower Nimba electoral district that are within district #7 with 282 polling places. His testimony is in corroboration with Edwin G. Korden, who also testified Friday, January 19, 2021 that that district #7 comprises of both lower and upper Nimba electoral districts.
In an attempt to debunk the allegation of a journalist recording that he confessed on radio to cheating during the senatorial election in Nimba, he told the hearing officers that he did not admit to any cheating.
It can be recalled in recent time a journalist from one of the radio stations in Nimba County testified on behalf of Edith Gongloe-Weh and allegedly told the hearing that Magistrate Paye admitted in a telephone conversation on radio that he went in lower Nimba County to cheat.
However, when the recording was openly played for the audience to listen, there was actually a confrontation between the journalist and magistrate, and the Magistrate got tired of the repeated question about his presence in lower Nimba and allegation of cheating.
In the said conversation, he angrily told the journalist that he was not making further comment and the accusing party should take the matter to court if they believed that he came to cheat. The trial continues.