Volda Lawrence to report to CID today

Oct 12, 2020 News

Kaieteur News – In response to a statement by the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+ AFC) coalition, on the request for the People’s National Congress Chairperson and former Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, to report to the police- the Guyana Police Force (GPF) called the statement “blatantly false” and distorted from the truth.

PNCR’s Chairperson and former Health Minister, Volda Lawrence

Lawrence is expected to report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown, today at 10:00hrs, in relation to the investigation of electoral fraud committed during the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections.
In a statement on Saturday, the GPF noted that APNU+AFC’s statement falsely claim that the police demanded that Lawrence report to the CID late Saturday afternoon, October 10, 2020.
The force also called the coalition’s statement distorted and blatantly false.
According to the statement by the coalition: “Today [Saturday] there has been an unmistakable further intensification of the psychological terrorism on the leadership of the APNU+AFC Coalition by the PPP regime and their complicit agents in the Guyana Police Force.”
It also stated that the police on Saturday contacted Lawrence and told her to present herself at 16:15hrs on Saturday, at the CID Headquarters.
The press release also noted that the “sudden and unnecessary demand” for Lawrence to report to CID late that Saturday afternoon must be seen for what it is: a “psychological terrorism against the APNU+AFC leadership, activists and supporters.”
However, in the GPF response to the statement, the force noted that as the GPF continues its probe into the March 2nd, 2020 post-elections incidents, police investigators made contact with Lawrence’s attorney-at-law, Nigel Hughes, inviting his client to CID to put an allegation to her in relation to the said investigations.
According to the police, Hughes indicated that he will bring Lawrence to CID at 10:00hrs on Saturday, but he later contacted them and requested the exercise of their discretion to permit him to bring her to CID for 16:00hrs instead.
The police agreed with Hughes request and re-scheduled for Lawrence to be present at CID at 16:00hrs.
In closing the GPF highlighted the claims by the coalition is completely erroneously and can only be viewed as a convenient attempt to create public mischief and impede the ongoing police investigations into the March 2, 2020 post-elections incidents.
Moreover, Lawrence is currently before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts for a joint charge with Returning Officer of Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, which allege conspiracy to commit fraud.
It is alleged that Mingo, having been procured by Lawrence on or about March 5, 2020, at the Command Centre for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on High and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, uttered to the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, the results for Region Four, knowing it to be forged, with intent to defraud the people of Guyana.
The duo is expected to make their next court appearance on November 16, 2020. Both accused are currently out on bail.
Police announced in August last that they will be conducting a comprehensive investigation into the criminal conduct of Lowenfield; the Returning Officer of Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, and others in relation to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and the events that followed.
During the probe, several GECOM officials were arrested and put before the court for electoral fraud charges.
The trial for the matter against the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, is scheduled to commence in November. He was slapped with three charges- fraud, misconduct in public office, and breach of the public’s trust.
According to Lowenfield’s lawyer, Senior Counsel Neil Boston, his client has to return to court on October 23, 2020, to receive the remaining statements of witnesses that are expected to testify against him and on November 13, and November 20, 2020, when the trials for the charges against Lowenfield are expected to commence.
Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers, recently made her first court appearance and was released on $300,000, bail for two counts of misconduct in public office charge. She is expected to make her next court appearance on October 23, 2020.
Returning Officer of Region Four, Mingo, was also slapped with four charges that allege that he misconducted himself in public office. On December 15, 2020- he is expected to return to court for the continuation of those matters.

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