BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
THE man who was alleged of registering seven times at seven different registration centres during the voter registration in 2018 has been acquitted by the court due to no evidence when it comes to the defendant’s true identity.
Alif Vai is charged with seven counts of obtaining registration by false pretence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code [Cap 26].
Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison said there is no evidence at all when it comes to the defendant’s true identity.
He said Prosecution does not provide any evidence that those names and particulars were false.
“A proper birth certificate should have been provided to confirm his names and birth date, his parents and where he is from pursuant to the relevant Act. In the absence of a birth certificate, a relative could have been called to properly identify him” Hollison said.
The Crown’s case is that from the 8th of September to the 20th of September 2018, the defendant made registration in various electoral registration centers here in Honiara. The defendant procured for himself registrations for seven constituencies for the 2019 National General Elections. On these occasions, he allegedly used different names to obtain registrations. In order to be registered as a voter or an elector, an applicant must fill out a form called “FORM B”. The details in this form would then create the voter identification card.
That Crown alleges that the defendant claimed to have resided in seven different constituencies in Solomon Islands. The defendant allegedly gave false representations to the registrations clerks by giving different names in order to obtain registration under the National Electoral Provision Act [Cap 87]
The Crown avers that there is documentary evidence which would support the proposition made by the Crown in its case.
Hollison after assessing all evidence and documents provided before the court not satisified with the Prosecution that the defendant by false pretence obtained registrations under various constituencies under the said Act in various dates in 2018 as alleged in counts 1 through to 7.
Therefore, he acquitted the Alif Vai of the Electoral offences.
