PHOTO: Brownie Samukai
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- The full bench of the Supreme Court of Liberia on Wednesday, February 14, 2021 upheld the ruling of the National Elections Commission (NEC) that there was no election fraud and irregularities in District #4 Lofa County, clearing the winner of the election, former Defense Minister Browne Samukai of the allegations.
The former Defense Minister was a candidate of the opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) in the December 8, 2020 Special Senatorial election.
Three of the senatorial candidates filed a petition to the Supreme Court of Election fraud and irregularities after NEC ruled against the three candidates.
The three candidates who petitioned Supreme Court are Hamet Kromah, James K. Marley and Gayflor Flomo who claimed that there were Election fraud and irregularities in District #4 Lofa County.
Mr. Samukai is awaiting certification by NEC. But Liberia’s Solicitor General, Cllr. Syrenius Cephas recently wrote NEC to suspend certification of Samukai because he has not restituted the tens of thousands of US dollars he was convicted of stealing while serving in the former Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s government.
But the Supreme Court of Liberia full bench today, Wednesday ordered the National Elections Commission to recount the remaining 104 polling places after seven others polling places were recounted as prayed for by the Independent senatorial candidate Steve Tequah.
The high Court upheld the NEC decisions ordering the recount of the 104 polling places based on testimony from the NEC presiding offer in which he declared most of the votes obtained the Independent candidate Tequah as invalid votes based on serious confusion and the absent of security.
During the recount process in the first seven polling places prayed for by Steve Tequah, it was disclosed that independent candidate Tequah obtained 80 votes while Geevon Smith obtained 18 votes which the independent candidate Steve Tequah to ordered the NEC to do recount in the remaining 104 polling places which the NEC agreed to do so but it was disagreed by independent candidate Geevon Smith prompting him to petitioned the Supreme Court on legal reasons.
Rivercess County has 111 polling places upon which seven has been recounted.
The candidate who was first announced winner, Geevon-Smith rejected rival Steve Tequah’s petition to recount votes cast at the remaining 104 places after it emerged he accrued 80 valid votes out of the initial 7 polling places earmarked for recount.
“The ruling of the Board of Commissioners to recount votes from remaining 104 polling places is affirmed – Justice Jamesetta Wolokollie said in the Supreme Ciurt’s ruling.
Following the recount of votes from the initial 7 polling places, Gee-von Smith’s tally increased by 18, while Tequah got an 80 vote increment.
The difference between the two candidates is now 54 votes, as Geevon-Smith has a total of 33202, and Tequah, 3248.