Court orders Mahaga case to go on full trial

The petition against the MP for Gao/Bugotu Trevor Hedley Mahaga will proceed for trial in November after the high court judge Augustine Aulanga ruled against a ‘strike-out’ application by the MP’s lawyer.

In his ruling today, Puisne Judge Aulanga ordered that three of the charges against the newly elected MP be brought to trial whilst five others were dismissed.

One of the charges that will be heard in full hearing is an allegation that the MP conducted election campaign during the “no campaign activity” period.

The court was told that the MP performed greetings, welcome and feeding of people in one of the polling stations on the 17^th of April.

Two other charges were related to the administration of election in the constituency.

Mahaga, the minister for Environment, Climate Change, and Disaster Management, along with Meteorology was declared the winner. Mahaga polled 2861 votes, narrowly edging out former Member of Parliament Samuel Manetoali who collected 2848 votes.

However, the result was announced without the counting of the pre-poll votes. He won with a difference of 13 votes and the pre-poll votes were also 13 votes.

The petitioner challenged errors and omissions committed by electoral officials regarding the counting. One of which was for failing to verify ballot papers cast together with the sealed prepoll papers.

The case goes on trial on November 26.

Mahaga was represented by Rano whilst LL Lawyers for the petitioner, Manetoali.