IEC rejects APRC’s Basse candidate after evidence of conviction.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has rejected the nomination of Pa Amadou Susso, the candidate of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) in the Basse Area Council (BSAC) in the forthcoming Mayoral/Chairperson election.

In a press release dispatched to The Point, the IEC stated in accordance with Section 49 of the Election Act, that it has rejected the nomination of Mr. Pa Amadou Suso as a candidate for election to the position of Chairperson under the APRC ticket for the Basse Area Council.

“Mr. Susso has not met the requirements to be nominated under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2002.”

On Wednesday, The Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) wrote a petition against the candidature of Rambo Jatta, the APRC mayoral candidate for the Kanifing Municipality Council (KMC) Talib Ahmed Bensouda of the United Democratic Candidate (UDP) and Pa Amadou Susso, the APRC’s candidate in the Basse Area Council for chairmanship.

A source that spoke to our reporter on the condition of anonymity said following the petition of the GDC, the IEC’s regional office in Basse on Wednesday requested the case file of Mr. Suso from Basse Magistrates’ Court.

Mr. Susso was charged with stealing by clerk and preparing a document without authority in 2013 while he was working with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Secretariat (ADRS) of the Basse Branch, a person familiar with the matter said.

The case was mentioned at the Basse Magistrates’ Court on the 26th of April 2013 and the following day on the 27th of April. According to our source, Mr. Suso, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Lamin Mbaye.

He was subsequently sentenced to pay a fine of D3000 on count one and D2000 on count two.

“GDC was able to get a judgment copy and writes the copy and then they sent in case a file reference number to the IEC, those IEC requested and referred the court to that case file number of which the court compiles to,” our source added.

Friday, April 27, 2018

Author: Momodou Jawo, The Point Newspaper.