Leaked Phone Conversation Reveals Shady Actions for Voters’ Transfers
It was the last day for voter transfers before the next general elections so today; there was a frenzy of activities across the country to get voters registered in new divisions. There are many voters who legitimately have changed addresses to new constituencies, but there are many others who have been enticed and then facilitated to present bogus addresses. It is a practice that has been going on for years and which the last re-registration process should have corrected, but it continues unabashedly. In fact, just past one year since re-registration, an alarming number of voters, in the thousands, are still transferring to new constituencies. Here is News Five’s Hipolito Novelo with a telephone call seeking illegal transfers.
Hipolito Novelo, Reporting
Across the country, voter’s lines snaked outside the Elections and Boundaries offices, as politicians and their campaigners push to transfers voters to their constituencies on the last day when transfers are allowed. Getting the voters to the line is a process that for the major parties starts with a call like this one.
Voice of: Miss Brisa
“I heard that you have someone to transfer?”
Voice #1
“But with who am I speaking?”
Voice of: Miss Brisa
“With Miss Brisa from Mister Aragon Office.”
A phone call between someone who claims to be a worker for UDP Orange Walk East Elodio Aragon and a resident was leaked. The leaked recording is edited, to conceal the identity of the resident by changing her voice. I’ve listened to the original phone call and in terms of context there is not much difference to the leaked audio.
The phone call continues with the caller checking if the resident wants to transfer some of her family members to her house in Orange Walk East. The issue is that the persons do not live in Orange Walk East but the caller is willing to work with that and she explains how.
Voice of: Caller
“I got this phone number and they told me that you have people to transfer or you have somebody to transfer so that’s why I am calling to check.”
Voice #1
“Yes, but they are from ****. They are not from the east.”
Voice of: Miss Brisa
“We work with that.”
Voice #1
“But how will that work?”
Voice of: Miss Brisa
“Where you do live? You live in ****.”
Voice #1
“Yes I am from *** * but my family is from ****.”
Voice of: Miss Brisa
“Alright but can we use your address like they live there?”
Voice #1
“Well if that is legal then I guess yes.”
Voice of: Miss Brisa
“Well it’s not legal but once you sign that they live they will go through.”
Voice #1
“Will they be getting if they transfer?”
Voice of: Miss Brisa
“What, what. Well he didn’t tell me all the story what you guys what, did you ask him for anything. Okay let me explain. The way we do it is that you have family you live here, it is best if you live your address because they are family. But if you don’t want to take the risk we will find another address here in the East to deal with them. If the people are interested I can get their names and phone number. Then we start to do the dealings with them. We bring them and they will speak with Mister Aragon’s brother.”
Voice #1
Well let me speak with them and then I’ll just give you a call on this number.
Voice of: Miss Brisa
“You can WhatsApp me on this number or send me a text. This is the number from the department that deals with transfers and registration.”
Voice #1
Okay, what is your name again?
Voice of: Miss Brisa
“Brisa Sabido.”
So how is Brisa Sabido? The person identifies herself as an employee for Elodio Aragon Junior who dismissed the recording saying it has been doctored.
Hipolito Novelo
“First of all sir, does Miss Brisa work for your office?”
Elodio Aragon Jr., Area Rep., O.W. East
“First of all I would want to tell you this, I won’t comment on these things because these things are baseless in terms that those are recordings that have been doctored, etcetera so I will give no credence to that.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Sir Miss Brisa works for you?”
Elodio Aragon Jr.
“Which Brisa?”
Hipolito Novelo
“Miss Brisa and Sonia, they say…”
Elodio Aragon Jr.
“If you look at the Social Security you will see exactly who I pay for. And you could check that out. I don’t know a Brisa, but definitely I have a lot of people…”
Hipolito Novelo
“Brisa Sabido.”
Elodio Aragon Jr.
“Sabido? We have a Sabido working with us, yes as far as I know.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Apparently the voice in this recording is her voice, trying to convince…”
Elodio Aragon Jr.
“I guess you know her more than me. That is your inference. I am telling you as far as I know I’ve heard about it. That is a doctored tape and I will give no credence to that. Out: 04:00
Aragon’s political opponent Kevin Bernard says that is it something that has been happening since the transfer period began in July.”
Kevin Bernard, P.U.P. Standard Bearer, Orange Walk East
“We know exactly what has been happening. In fact let me say this, one of my campaigners was also called to do a transfer but that campaigner does reside, this one here does reside in Orange Walk East and was going to transfer. But they did get that type of call and they did get that type of offer. What they should be ashamed of is the fact that they have to depend on these types of tactics to try and get people to support them.”
But the truth of the matter is that both parties have been guilty of padding the voters’ list over the years.
Hipolito Novelo
“Would you agree though that both parties are guilty of padding the voters list over so many years?”
Kevin Bernard
“I can’t tell you that because I don’t do that. So as far as I am concerned…”
Hipolito Novelo
“Your party does that.”
Kevin Bernard
“I cannot say. I cannot speak for everybody else. I can speak for what we are doing in Orange Walk East and I can tell you categorically whoever transfer in our decision are people who are living in our division.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.
