The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has announced the deployment of covert and investigative operatives nationwide before, during, and after the December 2024 elections to monitor, suppress, and repress election malpractices.

In its Half Yearly Report issued on July 11, 2024, the OSP warned individuals responsible for vote counting at polling stations, collation centres, and during the transmission of election results to act with integrity.

The report noted that willfully falsifying vote accounts or making false returns is a grave offence.

The OSP, empowered by anti-corruption mandates, aims to ensure the sanctity of the elections through the prevention, control, and repression of corruption, fraud, and unfair practices.

This authority is derived from section 79 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) and sections 256 and 258 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

"No person is permitted to influence the outcome of the elections through corrupt means," the report stated, highlighting that intimidation and impersonation are illegal.

It further cautioned against influencing voter conduct through threats of harm or impersonating voters or electoral officers.

The public was also reminded that anyone found guilty of these acts will face a seven-year voting ban and be barred from holding public office or being eligible for election as the President or a Member of Parliament.