Despite tremendous efforts by the National Electoral Commission (NEC), civil society organizations including the media and political parties in sensitizing members of the public about the newly implemented biometric registration system and warning against double or multiple registrations yet, there are some unpatriotic citizens that are trying to beat the system.
This was evident past Friday, 26th January when one David Bendu, a resident of Bureh Town in the outskirts of Freetown (Western Rural) was caught as he double registered in Ward 335, Constituency 93.
According to Police Media Officer, Sergeant 1757 Senesie E attached to the Waterloo Police Station, the suspect, David Bendu hails from Morya village, Bumpeh Chiefdom, but is presently residing with his uncle at Bureh Town where he was arrested for the allege crime.
He disclosed that the suspect was arrested past Friday and detained at the Tombo Police Station following which he was transferred to the Waterloo Police Station for further investigations. He disclosed that in the suspect’s initial statement he indicated that he was having some domestic problems which had confused his mind to think that he could beat the system.
Upon further enquiries, Awoko got from Simeon Maada Kandeh, Ward Coordinator where the alleged incident took place explained that David went to the center seven minutes to the stipulated closing time for registration centers.
He explained that being that they are dealing with many people; they cannot identify everybody who may have gone through the process. David, he said, having this in mind, made an attempt to re-register having done so once on Tuesday, 24th January 2012.
“It is not easy to pick up these things. It requires vigilance and understanding of the biometric computers,” he observed.
He explained that David had completed his second registration and had gone home when it came up that he had registered twice. According to the Coordinator, once the entering operator had entered his information and clicked the save button, the computer refused to accept the information, with an information signaling a double entry of the same person.
He said David’s information was collected and he was called that he had forgotten something at the centre. David was soon arrested when he arrived and it was made clear to him that he violated the law on double registration relating the biometric registration process. He said David’s two photos and the dates on which they were taken were displayed on the screen for him to see.
According to Mr. Albert Massaquoi, the Chief of External Relations, this is the first time they are experiencing this problem and according to the Electoral Laws Act of 2002, any person who knowingly seeks and obtains registration as an elector in contravention of subsection (1) commits an offence and shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding five hundred thousand Leones, or to an imprisonment not exceeding two years or both.
By Alhaji M. Kamara
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