Berbice police to probe allegation that AFC forged names on backers list

Oct 12, 2018 News

Police in Berbice will now have to launch an investigation into claims that the Alliance For Change forged names of residents and placed them on their backers list at the Whim/Bloomfield NDC for Local Government Elections.
After a hearing in the Civil court of the Berbice High Court, Attorney Anil Nandlall yesterday explained the police will have to now investigate and produce a report of the findings of the investigation next week Wednesday, after which they will meet with the judge in Georgetown on Friday so that the matter can proceed.
Nandlall said that 51 names that appeared as backers for AFC candidates in the Whim/Bloomfield local authority area are being challenged.

From right: Anil Nandlall and PPP Party head in Berbice, Zamal Hussain,
along with Attorney Adrian Anamayah in discussions.

According to him, the persons have made it clear that they did not agree to have their names on the list as backers and alleged that it was fraudulently obtained and forged on the list.
He stressed, “I hope a lot of people get lock up in this matter because this is serious forgery; people’s rights are being taken away and people are being forced to support candidates that they do not support and political parties that they do not support that strikes at the very heart of our democracy and it is all of our responsibility to ensure that we nip this matter in the bud”.
The matter was filed on October 3, 2018 by Safraz Beekhum. He was present at court yesterday.
Nandlall elucidated that at the hearing, they were told that Beekhum’s name was removed from the AFC’s backers list since Nomination Day, “We have been battling with this issue from the Nomination Day up until we had no resolve, no other alternative but to file these proceedings. Today, we are hearing that Beekhum’s name was always struck off from that list”.
He added that up until Wednesday afternoon when checks were made where the lists were posted at the RO’s office located at the Whim/Bloomfield NDC, Beekhum’s name was still on the list.
“Suddenly, today if you check there now, there is a line across his name and there is now an attachment that has been added with some new names replacing Beekham’s name and a few who have complained”.
The returning officer is now claiming that he made the correction; as such, there was no issue, Nandlall said. He further mentioned that the said RO is also contending that for another, he received statutory declaration form stating that that their names were fraudulently obtained and placed on other parties lists.
“He couldn’t do anything about it because he had already issued letters of approval to the AFC candidates although the time had not expired for him to recall those letters and do something about 51 people appearing in front of you and saying our names are not on that list correctly, something is wrong that caused our name to be put on that list and that we are asking for our names to be taken of the list.”
The attorney pointed out that despite those claims from residents the RO still went ahead and submitted their names to GECOM.

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