Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia has accused Smartmatic of funding and fabricating fake documents to falsely show that he has a foreign bank account, RH Boy Gonzales reported on Thursday, August 8.
During a press conference at the Comelec headquarters, Garcia presented evidence linking Smartmatic to the fraudulent documents they obtained. The fake account and documents reportedly originated from Jaleo Consulting LLC, a foreign company owned by Miami-based businessman Jose A. Herrera.
Garcia revealed that Herrera is a director of Albatross Technologies Corporation, which shares the same address as Smartmatic at #26 Pine Road Belleville, St. Michael, Barbados. Further investigation uncovered that Herrera is the father-in-law of one of the founders and owners of Smartmatic.
According to Garcia, this connection suggests that Smartmatic could be behind the funding and creation of the fake foreign bank account.
It was alleged that Jose Herrera Paez provided these documents to politicians in the Philippines. Paez serves as an attorney-in-fact for Jaleo Consultancy Firm and is also a Director of Smartmatic.
Smartmatic was previously the technology provider for Comelec in past automated elections but was disqualified in the recent bidding due to allegations of fraud in the previous election.
The accusations have added a new layer of controversy to the ongoing scrutiny of election technology providers and their involvement in the electoral process.
