IEBC official withheld election papers, court told

IEBC Information Communication and Technology director Dismas Ong'ondi. Photo/FILE 

By THOMAS KARIUKI
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A director of the electoral commission has been accused of hiding information that may have been useful in determining the disputed March 4 presidential election.

Mr Dismas Ong’ondi, the ICT director for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, was testifying in a case where former chief executive James Oswago is accused, alongside others, of interfering with the procurement process of voters’ kits.

(READ: 36 set to testify against Oswago)

“At the time you filed a replying affidavit at the presidential election petition, you had all these documents but deliberately withheld the information from the Supreme Court,” lawyer Paul Lilan for suspended deputy commission secretary Wilson Shollei said.

LEAKED INTERNAL MEMO

Mr Ong’ondi maintained that the IEBC documents were in his possession and that he gave what was required by the Supreme Court at the time.

The IEBC director was also tasked to explain why an internal memo, from the IEBC, and which was written by him became the subject of the March 4 presidential election petition.

“You withheld a report from the company contracted to deliver the kits and a briefing note approving the equipment and instead gave a memo sent much earlier disapproving the purchase of the kits. How did this information reach Cord?” Mr Lilan posed.

Mr Ong’ondi refuted the claims saying that he didn’t know how the information may have leaked from the IEBC.

An affidavit filed at the Supreme Court by Mr Oduol Ongwen, Cord campaign researcher, referred to the memo as part of the reliable documents supporting their suit against the IEBC.

SABOTAGE COLLEAGUES

“I did not submit the memo. This would have amounted to there being a leakage of internal information from IEBC which is against the job professional ethics,” Mr Ong’ondi said.

His department was also accused of sabotaging other departments of the IEBC through an email sent from the chairman of IEBC Isaac Hassan asking Mr Shollei to solve the disquiet in the department.

“Why should the ICT department sabotage the boundaries department. I hope Mr Shollei you can solve this juvenile wars,” Mr Hassan’s email read.

According to Mr Ong’ondi, the chairman was misled: “The chairman reacted to that information from one point of view.”

He was also questioned on whether he wanted to create an impression that Mr Shollei was not diligent in his work by the “selective clauses” he was asked to read aloud in court by the case prosecutor.

He noted that an adhoc committee headed by Mr James Oswago compiled the voter register and consolidated data collected all over the country.

The case continues on March 18.