The Hearing Officer in the Grand Cape Mount County electoral dispute case Friday reaffirmed the court’s earlier decision, declaring Simeon Taylor, Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), the winner of the December 8, 2020 special senatorial election in Grand Cape Mount County. The complainant, Victor Watson, through his legal team, has accepted the ruling but announced an appeal to the Board of Commissioners (BOC) of the National Elections Commission (NEC).
In his ruling, the Hearing Officer, Atty. Fumba Swaray, said the complainant, Victor Watson, has failed through the preponderance evidence to prove the allegation that Simeon Taylor voted two times and that there were pre-marked ballots during election day.
Atty. Swaray said the complainant did not prove through the preponderance of evidence that the signatures of poll watchers of Victor Watson were forged, neither did they prove that Simeon Taylor and his “gangsters” stopped their agents from entering polling places to observe the counting after polls were closed on election day.
The Hearing Officer said, because the complainant, Victor Watson, and his legal team failed to produce overwhelming evidence to prove their allegation, the Administrative Hearing had no other ruling but to dismiss and deny their motion as prayed for.
Meanwhile, the Hearing Officer of the National Elections Commission, Atty. Fumba Swaray, has noted the exception of Victor Watson, through his legal team, led by Cllr. Salihu Swary, and granted the appeal to the Board of Commissioners, as a matter of law.