At least 30 Sierra Leoneans have been arrested with Liberian voter’s registration cards, Police Spokesperson Moses Carter has confirmed.
According to him the arrest took place in the troubled town of Nomodatahum Town, Gbarpolu County.
Mr. Carter was quoted by Front Page Africa as saying that those arrested are currently being questioned by the police and officers of the Liberia Immigration Services (LIS).
It has been rumored that Sierra Leoneans were behind the arm bush and seizure of the ballot boxes belonging to the National elections Commission(NEC) following the conduct of the December 8, 2020 election in Gbarpolu County.
It was in Nomodatahum that National Elections Commission (NEC) announced that an influential chief, for unknown reasons, McGill Wleh, forcefully took away four ballot boxes assigned to Precinct with Code #45039, comprising four polling places and 2,021 registered voters.
Voting in the town, located in District #3, Gbarpolu County, was suspended and rescheduled the election on December 15, 2020.
With more than 95 percent of the votes counted so far from the county, Independent female Candidate Botoe Kanneh is leading the candidate of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Rep. Alfred Koiwood of Gbarpolu County Electoral District #1.
Madam Kanneh was reportedly kidnapped and her supporters were attacked by members of the powerful all-male Poro Society on the orders of the Clan Chief who is accused of seizing several ballot boxes on Election Day.
Intimidating opposition?
Some of Madam Kanneh supporters including her relatives were allegedly beaten by members of the traditional society, with their whereabouts still remain unknown.
Mr. Aloysius Toe, the Secretary General of the Alternative National Congress has also been reportedly arrested and charged with espionage.
The arrest also comes amid allegations that the LIS is colluding with the ruling party to intimidate madam Kanneh and her supporters in a bid to deny her of winning the Gbarpolu County’s senatorial race.
According to reports from Gbarpolu, Madam Kanneh, along with the Collaborating Political Parties’ Candidate, Sam K. Zinnah and a number of their supporters were stopped by the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) officers from entering the town.
It is reported that Zinnah has pledged his support to Kanneh.
They, along with their supporters, were seen or heard demanding access to the town on grounds that Rep. Koiwood had his team in Normor, holding secret meetings while at the same time denying other candidates access to the town.
The Daily Observer newspaper quoted Zinnah as saying the immigration escorted him to the outskirts of the town, where he met fellow Candidate Kanneh, who had just arrived at the town that morning and was barred from entry.
According to Zinnah, the two of them were held on the outskirts of the town by armed joint security, including PSU officers for more than five hours. Their only option, he narrated, was to leave the town and lodge somewhere else.
Zinnah said he had to retreat to Kongbor Town by motorbike, leaving his personal effects in the room he rented at Nomodatahum.
Gbarpolu County is one of the few counties that the ruling coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) is struggling to keep grip on.
NEC Chairperson Davidetta Browne Lansanah, said up to the time of her Commission’s press conference Tuesday December 15, the whereabouts of one of the 15 temporary election staffs was not known, being a sign of insecurity in the area for the holding of elections.
