Police investigates printing of ballot duplicates in Kulhudhuffushi

Police have started investigating a matter where extra ballot papers were allegedly printed in Haa Dhaalu Kulhudhuffushi, two days prior to the presidential elections.

Police Media Official confirmed that they have received such a report and said that they have commenced investigations into the matter. The official did not provide details.

A source from Kulhudhuffushi told Sun that identical copies of the ballot used in the September 7th elections was printed from the printing area of a local bookshop on the island, one MCO bookshop.

The source said that 15 duplicate pieces of ballot paper were printed, laminated, and sent off to 15 other islands.

“They were taken for printing on a pen drive by a senior MDP (Maldivian Democratic Party) activist from this island. He printed and laminated them, and sent them off to five islands. The island’s complaints bureau looked into the matter and reported it to the police,” the source said.

The man has now surrendered the digital copies of the ballot papers to the police, but is reported to have asked one of the elections complaint bureau officials if the ballot papers would be printed in colour, prior to printing them.

“An elections commission official has agreed to provide his statement regarding the matter,” said one of the people who reported the matter to the police.

Jumhoory Party, who received third most votes in the elections, has rejected the results and filed a case in High Court against the Elections Commission. However, the court rejected the case soon after it was filed.