The National League for Democracy’s spokesperson and campaign committee manager Nyan Win stood in trial yesterday over alleged false claims he issued concerning voter fraud in April’s by-elections.

On Tuesday, Zabuthiri township’s court in Naypyidaw commenced the legal proceedings and judges heard the prosecutor’s opening arguments.

“[The court] heard the prosecutors’ accounts today, but set the next [court date] for July 6th,” said Nyan Win’s lawyer Kyaw Ho.

“U Nyan Win was sued for allegedly providing false information that ballots were waxed. We’ve been preparing for this for a long time. We argued that he didn’t provide any false information.”

During the April by-elections, the NLD’s spokesperson claimed ballots had been tampered with at a polling station in Pubbathiri.

After investigating the allegation, the Union Election Commission announced on 9 May that the NLD’s complaints were a ‘sham’ and filed charges against Nyan Win.

The UEC’s director Thaung Hlaing filed suit against the NLD’s Nyan Win under section 182 of the penal code: for providing false information to a public servant and for making a claim in a press conference during the 1 April by-elections that ballot-tickets in several polling stations were coated in wax.

If found guilty, Nyan Win could be imprisoned for up to six months or fined.