ECN pawn scandal deepens
The status of Milton Louw at the ECN remains unclear, amidst his bombshell confession that he is a hacking expert who believes votes were stolen.
Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) technical director Milton Louw, who is embroiled in an alleged pawn scandal, has outrageously claimed he knows the 27 November general elections were hacked, because he is a hacker himself.
A senior IT employee at the ECN, Louw faces allegations that he stole five laptop computers from his employer and traded them in at a Cash Converters shop in Windhoek, in exchange for an unspecified amount of money.
A manager at Cash Converters confirmed that Louw had traded in five laptops, but got them back afterwards, upon paying all the money he had borrowed.
The laptops were returned back to him before the highly contested 27 November general election, Cash Converters confirmed.
“When he finished paying all our money back, we gave him all the laptops back. He got the laptops back before the elections took place,” the manager said.
She also informed Namibian Sun that in instances where it takes in second-hand goods from members of the public, they require a declaration from the police or receipts to be assured that the goods being sold or pawned were indeed the property of those who were selling them.
It could not be confirmed whether Louw provided Cash Converters with such a declaration.
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani had claimed on Tuesday that the laptops were sold to get rid of election evidence, a claim dismissed by ECN chief electoral officer Theo Mujoro.
Mujoro, however, confirmed that a case had been opened with the police against Louw.
Louw said in a range of interviews with the media that it was correct that he took the computers.
“Somebody stole votes and I informed Mr Mujoro. Somebody hacked the Namibian elections and they stole votes. I don't know who,” he said when pushed to provide clarity on the alleged stolen votes.
When he sat down with Namibian Sun on Tuesday at his home, Louw claimed he took the computers to Cash Converters in an attempt to ensure that the laptops would end up safely in police custody.
When asked why he did not take the laptops straight to police, he claimed it was part of an elaborative strategy to ensure the ECN would not be able to get hold of the computers to alter any of the results on them that would possibly alter the outcome of the just-concluded elections.
This is despite Cash Converters confirming that Louw, after paying all the monies due to the shop, received the laptops back before the elections were held.
The shop did not reveal the dates on which the computers were returned to Louw or the amount for which they were pawned, citing client confidentiality.
Louw claimed during the interview with Namibian Sun that for every vote cast, two were stolen.
Louw had bragged that he took the machines to Cash Converters intentionally, because of his background and knowledge as a hacker.
“I come from a family of thieves. I stole when I was 15,” Louw said at his residence, when interviewed.
He claimed he could illustrate how the hackers were able to steal the votes from computers he had in his house.
ECN did not respond to questions on whether Louw had been placed on suspension in light of the theft allegations, and whether he would appear before a disciplinary hearing for his alleged pawning antics.
Mujoro was also asked whether the laptops contained any information that could have influenced the results of the November 27 elections.
No answers were provided to these questions.
OGONE TLHAGE
A senior IT employee at the ECN, Louw faces allegations that he stole five laptop computers from his employer and traded them in at a Cash Converters shop in Windhoek, in exchange for an unspecified amount of money.
A manager at Cash Converters confirmed that Louw had traded in five laptops, but got them back afterwards, upon paying all the money he had borrowed.
The laptops were returned back to him before the highly contested 27 November general election, Cash Converters confirmed.
“When he finished paying all our money back, we gave him all the laptops back. He got the laptops back before the elections took place,” the manager said.
She also informed Namibian Sun that in instances where it takes in second-hand goods from members of the public, they require a declaration from the police or receipts to be assured that the goods being sold or pawned were indeed the property of those who were selling them.
It could not be confirmed whether Louw provided Cash Converters with such a declaration.
Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader McHenry Venaani had claimed on Tuesday that the laptops were sold to get rid of election evidence, a claim dismissed by ECN chief electoral officer Theo Mujoro.
Mujoro, however, confirmed that a case had been opened with the police against Louw.
Louw said in a range of interviews with the media that it was correct that he took the computers.
“Somebody stole votes and I informed Mr Mujoro. Somebody hacked the Namibian elections and they stole votes. I don't know who,” he said when pushed to provide clarity on the alleged stolen votes.
When he sat down with Namibian Sun on Tuesday at his home, Louw claimed he took the computers to Cash Converters in an attempt to ensure that the laptops would end up safely in police custody.
When asked why he did not take the laptops straight to police, he claimed it was part of an elaborative strategy to ensure the ECN would not be able to get hold of the computers to alter any of the results on them that would possibly alter the outcome of the just-concluded elections.
This is despite Cash Converters confirming that Louw, after paying all the monies due to the shop, received the laptops back before the elections were held.
The shop did not reveal the dates on which the computers were returned to Louw or the amount for which they were pawned, citing client confidentiality.
Louw claimed during the interview with Namibian Sun that for every vote cast, two were stolen.
Louw had bragged that he took the machines to Cash Converters intentionally, because of his background and knowledge as a hacker.
“I come from a family of thieves. I stole when I was 15,” Louw said at his residence, when interviewed.
He claimed he could illustrate how the hackers were able to steal the votes from computers he had in his house.
ECN did not respond to questions on whether Louw had been placed on suspension in light of the theft allegations, and whether he would appear before a disciplinary hearing for his alleged pawning antics.
Mujoro was also asked whether the laptops contained any information that could have influenced the results of the November 27 elections.
No answers were provided to these questions.
OGONE TLHAGE
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