Electoral Commission’s Auction of BVDs Was Lawful, Says Director Amidst IMANI’s Calls for Probe

The Director of Electoral Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr. Serebour Quaicoe, has defended the commission’s decision to auction obsolete Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs), stating that the process was conducted within the confines of the law.

IMANI Center for Policy and Education had raised concerns and called for an investigation into the auctioning of the BVDs after 10 of them were discovered at a recycling facility in Madina.

Dr. Quaicoe, in an interview on Citi TV’s Face to Face, explained that the EC had received permission from the Ministry of Finance to auction their outdated equipment, including the BVDs. He emphasized that the auction was properly advertised in the Daily Graphic and conducted through a transparent process, with the recycling company in Madina being one of six auctioneers selected after an interview process.

He clarified, “The BVDs and BVRs were those which were used before 2020. Once we acquired new ones, these ones were obsolete, we’re not using them. They were still occupying space, so the Commission wrote to the district valuer, STC, they did the evaluation of all the materials, and we have documentation to that effect.”

Dr. Quaicoe emphasized that the commission followed due process, with state valuers assessing the items, obtaining approval from the finance ministry, and all proceeds from the auction being paid into the Consolidated Fund.

Responding to concerns about the legality of the process, Dr. Quaicoe stated, “Not at all, State valuer assessed it, we wrote to the finance ministry, approval was given, and the items were valued. They did interviews and the auctioneers auctioned the items. All the money generated was paid into the Consolidated Fund. We went through the legal means.”

Despite these explanations, Franklin Cudjoe, President of IMANI Africa, maintains that the auctioning of the BVDs constitutes a misappropriation of state resources and insists on an investigation. However, Dr. Quaicoe expressed confidence, stating, “We’re not worried because we have not committed any offence. The documents are there.”