Patrick J. Kainessie, AYV News, September 29

Director of Communications at the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (EC-SL), Raymond A.M. George has said the Commission has commenced the process of paying workers for the June 2023 general elections and that they have already paid over fifteen thousand staff.

He continued that it is the UNDP that is in control of the payment and that the EC-SL is also monitoring the process.

Mr. George said: “Once a worker has been verified, he will receive a text message in his phone that tells him that the money is ready. We deliberately did not put the money on table for payment, because we do not want people to interfere with any staff’s money, and we also do not want someone to go and collect money where he did not work.

“We do not want someone who worked as Ballot Box Controller (BBC) to receive the payment of a Presiding Officer (PO), and the other way round. We have the exact money which they signed for. I want all staff to know that nobody has the right within the EC-SL to ask you for any amount of money after you have cashed out your money.”