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You see, when you look at the track record of Thales Gelmatos, the company procured by the E.C to supply the hardware for the new system and you compare it to the integrity crisis currently affecting our Electoral Commission, you can’t help but wonder who is corrupting who?
(Atleast one is corrupting the other)
Thales, the French Company that was blacklisted by the World bank, between 2004-2006 is the Company our E.C has procured through a shady and highly opaque procurement process to supply the system for the 2020 General Elections.
Thales Gelmatos the company currently being sued by the Estonian Government for messing up their National Identification System, is the Company our E.C is in bed with currently.
Thales Gelmatos the Company currently found guilty in South Africa for bribing Former President Jacob Zuma is the Company Jean Mensah is handing over the system for the 2020 elections to.
Folks there is even more bigger problem….
when the E.C opened the tender for the procurement of the hardware(BVD and BVRs kits),they also opened another tender process for the Software program to run the system which a different Company emerged as the winner of that bid.
Usually the convention has been that one Company supply the hardware and another supply the software.(for transparency purposes.)
As we speak, the E.C is on the verge of handing over the Contract for the procurement of the Software to Thales Gelmatos as well. (if they haven’t already done that)
Whatever love affair currently ongoing between Thales Gelmatos and our Electoral Commission is really big and strong!
First Smartmatics won the bid for the supply of the hardware, E.C took the deal from them and handed it over Thales, now another Company has also won the bid for the supply of the software, they are again taking it away from them and handing it over to Thales.
Now the danger here is, Thales who is going to supply our Hardware and at the same time our Software for the 2020 elections may have an unimaginable amount of access or control over system without any checks and that is dangerous!.
If this doesn’t worry you, then I dont know what else will…
Whatever the motivation of the E.C is definitely goes beyond money….
There is something sinister brewing between the E.C and Thales Gelmatos and we must watch out…
Atleast the track record of Thales Gelmatos from other Countries they have worked, is enough to keep all of us nervy from now till December, 2020.
Mensah Thompson
Executive Director, ASEPA
0542120628
Source:Broadcastergh.com/Ayisah Foster
