The National Elections Commission, (NEC), Hearing Officer in the Bong County electoral dispute case has dismissed in its entirety the six counts complaint alleging electoral fraud and irregularities.
The Hearing Officer, Daniel Newland has reaffirmed the Commission’s earlier ruling declaring Candidate James M. Kolleh of the People Unification Party, PUP as the winner of November 16, 2021, Representative By-election in Bong County.
A press release on Thursday, December 23, 2021, stated that lawyers representing the Complainant, Melvin K. Salvage, led by Atty. Alvin Blackie accepted the ruling and announced an appeal to the Board of Commissioners of NEC. The defendant, James M. Kolleh was represented by Cllr. Albert Sims.
Magistrate, Daniel Newland in his final ruling Thursday, said the complainant, Mr. Melvin K. Salvage, Representative Candidate of the Coalition for Democratic Change, CDC, failed to establish the burdened of proof as required to nullify the result in the Electoral District #2 case in Bong county.
The case grew out of the action, Mr. Melvin K. Salvage, Representative Candidate of CDC in the 2021 By-Election in Electoral District-2 Bong County, as complainant, versus Mr. James M. Kolleh Candidate, PUP, the National Chairman and ALL of and National Elections Commission el-al, as the defendant.
A release from NEC dated, 2 December 2021, quotes its Upper Bong County elections magistrate, saying the complainant, Melvin Salvage did not prove the quantum of evidence to prove the truthfulness of their six counts complaints in keeping with elections laws, regulations, procedures, and rules.
