The Electoral Commission (EC) clarified that, the 10 Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) discovered at a recycling company in Madina were outdated units that had been legally auctioned off.
In a statement, the Electoral Commission revealed that, these outdated BVDs were acquired prior to the 2012 elections and were utilized during the 2019 District Level Elections (DLE) by the current administration.
The EC explained that, the previous administration had intended to refurbish these outdated devices for the 2018 Referendum and the 2019 DLE, despite being advised by the Managers of the Commission’s Biometric Infrastructure that the equipment had reached the end of their operational life and were obsolete.
The Commission added that, the current administration had scrapped the refurbishment plan and instead opted to procure new equipment.
To ensure the prudent use of resources and the integrity of electoral processes, the Commission explained that it decided to replace the obsolete 2012 equipment with new equipment and infrastructure.
The Commission in their statement rejected allegations of sneaking out devices for recycling at a loss to the state, emphasising that the auction was conducted transparently, and proceeds were duly deposited in the Consolidated Fund.
