No charges against man in Camptown ballot box incident

Crime Chief Seelall Persaud yesterday revealed that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has advised that no charges be instituted against the man who was allegedly caught holding a ballot box at the Camptown Community Centre on elections day.

The probe into the Elections Day incident was completed earlier this month and the police were awaiting advice from the DPP.

The man, who was found holding a ballot box at the Campbellville polling place on November 28, had been released on station bail. Persaud said police were 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 alleged exchange of money between the man and the Gecom employee.