adminSenior Court Reporter
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chief inspector Ms Jane Chigiji yesterday told the court that none of their envelopes containing ballot papers for special voting went missing. Ms Chigichi, who was testifying in the trial of MDC-T deputy national chairman Morgen Komichi, insisted during cross-examination by the defence that Komichi knows the origins of the ballot papers he was found in possession of.
Komichi is accused of fraud and contravening the Electoral Act after he was found in possession of an envelope containing ballot papers belonging to Constable Mugove Chiginya which he claimed to have picked up from a bin at a city hotel.
On Tuesday, Ms Jane Chigiji disowned the ballots.
Ms Chigiji said the commission used special felt tip pens to write on the grey tamper-proof envelopes that contained the ballots, adding that it was shocking to note that the one which Komichi allegedly presented to ZEC was written with an ordinary pen.
She also said the way the envelope was opened is not the way they opened other envelopes at polling stations.
“Everything that is before this court is not making sense, Mr Komichi should tell this court where he got these ballots. Honestly these ballots did not come from the commission,” Ms Chigiji told the court.
“Everything about these ballots is not in line with the commission’s procedures.
“If indeed Cst Chiginya voted, his ballot papers should have been dropped in a ballot box and brought together with other ballots. I cannot keep on commenting about these ballots because I do not know their origins.
“The accused person is in a better position to explain where he got them from.”
Ms Chigiji, however, conceded that she could not recall some of the things that transpired when Komichi presented the ballots to the commission.
Komichi’s lawyer Mr Alec Muchadehama took Ms Chigiji to task on why she can not remember what transpired from the time Komichi approached the commission with the disputed ballot papers.
Ms Chigiji said she could not narrate everything in detail adding that it was normal especially if someone is being cross-examined in court.
Magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe adjourned the trial to today for continuation.
Komichi was arrested for contravening the Electoral Act, which makes it a criminal offence for an unauthorised person to possess ballot papers or to tamper with them.
He has been in custody since July 29.
Online Reporter