Abau MP Sir Puka Temu said this confidently after police failed to find any evidence of ballot boxes, papers or high-powered guns at his three homes. Sir Puka walks out of the Boroko Police Station after seeing the police. Picture: TARami Legei.
ABAU MP Sir Puka Temu said he is clean.
The sitting Abau MP said this confidently after police failed to find any conclusive evidence at his three homes at his Kapari Village, Kupiano Station in the Central Province and the one at Korobosea in Port Moresby following systematic raids on Tuesday this week.
Police acting on claims searched his homes for ballot boxes, ballot papers and high powered factory-made weapons believed to be in his possession without success.
Sir Puka was further asked to front up at the Boroko Police Station yesterday to answer allegations of election fraud by the National Election Investigative Task Force for the National Capital District and the Central Province.
This sparked off up to 10 truck-loads of supporters that came in to support their leader at the back of Boroko Police Station to voice their concerns that the leader for Our Development Party has been wrongly targeted and was not treated in a manner of a senior statesperson.
Currently in a commanding lead after count five as of 3pm yesterday, Sir Puka was yesterday grilled on allegations of falsifying ballot papers to gain an unfair advantage in the race for his Abau seat.
Police are understood to be working on an affidavit of a woman that has claimed that she witnessed several men in a dark blue Toyota Land Cruiser (5 Door), bull bar bumper, tinted with the registration number plate (known) driving around with a ballot box full with ballot papers with an Electoral Commission sticker on the side.
Her statement in part further said the top lid was blue and not the usual green in colour and it was locked with a brass pad-lock. She stated that there were seven men, six were of Central origin and one from the Highlands were holding high-powered weapons.
She stated that she was picked up by the vehicle at Moroguina Station while trying looking for transport to go to Port Moresby.
She later stated that the men further threatened to kill her if she said anything about what she saw in the vehicle. She further stated that she was allegedly offered up to K5000 to keep her mouth shut.
The vehicle allegedly belongs to Sir Puka, while the men in the vehicle remain unidentified.
After coming out yesterday, Sir Puka told the media that the police revealed that the allegations were being made by 13 rival candidates. “I believe this has been highly politically motivated. The police came in big numbers to search my house and found nothing,” he said.
“I have nothing to hide. I’m just concerned that these actions are diverting the real attention from the real corrupted practices,” he said.
Sir Puka further said that this is the first time that he is seeing dirty politics in Abau.
“To make false allegations is very serious and I’m very disappointed that it has come this far. All the police had to do was to go to Goldie where the ballot boxes are to clarify their claims,” he said.
“I won the previous election fairly and I will win again. When those other candidates lose they must accept this verdict,” he added.
It is understood that Sir Puka is expected to front up again today for further questioning.
Post-Courier
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