EENHANA – Two trainees recruited by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) as polling officials in Ohangwena Region appeared in court on Tuesday in connection with the alleged theft of a memory card from a handheld voter verification device that belongs to the ECN.
The suspects are Immanuel Haushona and Shimweefeleni Tate-elai who were not granted bail and their case was postponed to December 8.
The two accused made their first appearance in the Ohangwena Magistrate’s Court before magistrate Makapa Simasiku.
The incident occurred on Saturday 22 at Ponofi Senior Secondary School during the training of ECN polling officials recruited for the elections.
Ohangwena regional police spokesperson Kuume Itumba said the suspects were recruited by ECN as polling officers and were under training.
According to the police report, the suspects stole the memory card used for training purposes from the handheld voter verification machine.
The case was reported to the police and the duo apprehended. They surrendered the device.
Itumba said the memory card was returned to the ECN so as not to disrupt the elections training.
ECN Ohangwena Regional Election Coordinator Heskiel Mukete confirmed the incident.
The training for more than 1 400 polling officials started on November 19 in Ohangwena Region.
The seven-day training involved polling officials and political party agents who will represent their parties in Ohangwena.
There are about 130 320 eligible voters in the Ohangwena Region and 368 polling venues.
By Loide Jason