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In an interview with 7 News late this evening, the Chief Elections Officer, Josephine Tamai re-iterated that position and stressed that the Elections Database has not been compromised.

Josephine Tamai, Chief Elections Officer
"We did an initial investigation, and I had gotten back one report from one of the officers who conducted that investigation,, and what I want to assure the public is that the information or the database - there is no way that the voters list could be compromised from Mr. Guerrero being in that office."

"Actually, one of the persons who went out to do the investigation checked the computer to ensure that nothing has been removed or added along with the record cards because the sub-office actually takes the application and enters it in the database. But when it comes to central office, that is re-entered and verified along with the record card. So there is no way that that office could delete or insert anything."

Jim McFadzean
"So you can confirm that there is no breach of confidential voters' information that took place that night that Mr. Guerrero was behind the computer?"

Josephine Tamai, Chief Elections Officer
"Actually the information that Mr. Guerrero would have seen, yes he saw it pre-maturely, but that information would still be available to the public."

Jim McFadzean
"Has your office determined yet what Mr. Guerrero was doing in that office after hours?"

Josephine Tamai, Chief Elections Officer
"So far we haven't been able to confirm that, I've written to Mrs. Squires and I gave her up until February 2nd for her to give me a complete detailed report because so far I've still not been able to get a detailed report from her, hence the reason why the request was made for her suspension. And we have gotten approval, so currently she is on suspension, and that took effect yesterday."

Jim McFadzean
"Did in fact Mrs. Squires breach your department policy on who has access to government equipment?"

Josephine Tamai, Chief Elections Officer
"That's one of the things that the officer breached because, in terms of the access to our computers of our information - especially for this department - nobody other than herself or other registering officers that we would have to post there from time to time, and we have an IT technician here in this department. So she failed because if for any reason the computer was giving any problems she should have informed the office on that specific date and time. This office was open because you know that we are in the process of verifying signatures for the referendum so she could have called the office and inform us, even to call the supervisor. And she failed to do that."

Jim McFadzean
"What is the status of her employment with your department right now?"

Josephine Tamai, Chief Elections Officer "Actually she is governed under the public service regulations, so whatever we do have to go to the public services commission for a decision."

On the issue of her office, out rightly denying the People's United Party's request to peruse the binders of voters for the Corozal South East Division, Tamai says the opposition is blowing the matter out if proportion. She says the decision to deny access for the specific dates requested had to do with her office's limited resources during 'some very hectic days' leading up to Municipal elections.

Josephine Tamai, Chief Elections Officer
"Actually yesterday we had a little bit over 1,000 new applications for the Corozal office - and that's a lot. The three persons there, it's almost difficult for us to have somebody to supervise the perusal of those binders because we could imagine what could happen. I am saying that it will be done but we'll run the risk of having persons removing things from the binders, removing photographs. Those binders are what we used when we have an election. So imagine if we have an election and documents are missing from those binders - we would be in serious trouble, and that would be a concern as far as I am concerned."

"We anticipate that the workload for the office and the amount of trafficking of persons within the office will decrease by Monday. So we will be able to spare somebody to supervise the perusal of those binders."

Nonetheless, the PUP has filed a 27 page application for Judicial Review of Tamai's actions in the Supreme Court. The party asks the court to order her to reconsider her decision, and to declare her position as unreasonable.

But, as noted in the interview, Tamai has vacated that position. She wrote to the PUP chairman today informing him that the binders will be available for perusal starting on Monday and lasting for one month.