150 Fake Ballots Seized By Police
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Hargeysa, Somaliland, September 24, 2005 (SL Times) – Somaliland police seized a briefcase containing 150 fake ballot papers at Hargeysa airport on Thursday. The bag was brought by a woman passenger who claimed that she didn’t have the keys for opening it.
A suspicious policeman then told her that the briefcase will be kept in the customs stores at the airport.
At 3pm a man claiming to be the owner produced a key and was asked to open the briefcase. Police found faked ballot papers that had serial numbers bearing the region of Awdal and the symbol of candidate Moussa Mohamed Ismail from the Justice and Welfare party (UCID).
The papers were printed in Dubai on the basis of a sample ballot papers given by the National Electoral Commission to candidates for training their supporters on how to mark their vote on the ballot paper.
However NEC chairman Ahmed Adami dismissed accusations that the fake ballot papers would create mistrust and confusion among voters. He said the sample and actual ballot papers were entirely different in color and that the genuine ballot papers bore security water marks.
Adami said any fake ballot papers sneaked into the ballot box will be automatically disqualified.
Meanwhile police had set free Mouse Mohamed Ismail and a relative of his at 9pm on Friday.
Source: Somaliland Times
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