General News of Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Source: Joy Online

Nobody can fabricate pink sheet results – Afari-Gyan

Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, witness for the Electoral Commission has rebuffed suggestions by Philip Addison, petitioners’ counsel that pink sheets with fabricated results can be smuggled into the overall results at the collation centers.

Dr. Afari-Gyan said this during cross-examination by Mr. Addison on day 31 of the presidential election petition hearing at the Supreme Court.

Mr. Addison‘s line of questioning can be traced back to yesterday’s hearing when Dr. Afari-Gyan also confirmed, pink sheets were printed abroad without the watch of the Electoral Commission.

The sheets also would not have serial numbers recognized, as a security feature. “Not every number is a serial number,” he revealed.

At today's hearing, Philip Addison said pink sheets with duplicate serial numbers created room for results to be manufactured on voting day and later factored into the results of the collation center.

Addison said most of the constitutional violations and irregularities occurred were places where there was the use of duplicate serial numbers.

"Isn't it possible that if one gets hold of a duplicate pink sheet he can swap the figures on the original pink sheet?", Addison queried.

“Absolutely not”, Dr. Afari-Gyan asserted. He said every pink sheet results would have to bear the signature of every polling agent and a presiding officer.

He would also not consider the "possibility" of this happening. Election administration, he said, dealt with "what actually happens” and not possibilities, the E.C boss noted.