The hearing officer at the National Elections Commission (NEC) has reaffirmed that the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) candidate, Jeremiah Koung is the winner in the Tuesday, December 8, 2020 senatorial elections in Nimba County.
But lawyers representing the legal interest of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP)’s candidate, Edith Gongloe-Weh took exception to the ruling and announced an appeal to the full Board of Commissioners.
The complainant’s counsels are calling for a reversed of the Monday, February 22, ruling against their client by the hearing officer with a notification requesting for a careful review of the judiciary records or proceedings on the matter.
Announcing the hearing officer Boakai Cooper’s ruling, the complainant failed to provide proof to support her allegations of “fraud and irregularities” against the defendant.
He stated, amongst many things that although the complainant continuously mentioned that ballot boxes arrived with broken seals, she failed to provide a single ballot box with the specific seal number that arrived broken.
“The mere allegation of ballot boxes arriving with broken seals does not amount to proof. The complainant was duty-bound to have provided specific ballot box numbers along with the seal numbers that were broken,” Cooper continued.
He admitted that the complainant did provide photos of several ballot boxes but that do not depict evidence of seals that were being tampered with and therefore declared that, “In view of the foregoing, Edith Gongloe-Weh’s complaint is hereby denied and dismissed.”
He therefore ruled that the election result as declared on December 16, 2020, by the National Elections Commission declaring Jeremiah Koung as the winner of the election is hereby affirmed and confirmed.
The complainant’s legal team was comprised of former Chief Justice, Cllr. Gloria Musu-Scott, former Chief Justice, Cllr. Frances Johnson-Allison, Kuku Dorbor and Philip Y. Gongloe.
Others were former Assistant Minister for Litigation at the Ministry of Justice, Augustine Fayiah, the president of the Liberia National Bar Association, Tiawan Gongloe, Momolu Kandakai, and Lawrence Tomah.
While the defense counsels were current Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Cooper W. Kruah, former head of the government’s assets recovery team, Arthur Johnson, Othello G. Kruah and Prince M. Kruah.
MDR political leader, Senator Prince Y. Johnson and the senator-elect Jeremiah Koung while Rep. Larry Yanquoi a constituent member of the Collaborating Political Parties and Edith Gongloe-Weh were among those who jammed packed the hall to witness yesterday’s ruling at NEC.