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DPP withdraws private criminal charges against Mingo, Lawrence
Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C.
Kaieteur News – The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C, has withdrawn the joint private criminal charge against Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo and the Chairperson for the People’s National Congress (PNC) and Former Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence.
The charge had 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 electoral results for Region Four, knowing it to be forged, with intent to defraud the people of Guyana. The charge was filed by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) attorney, Charles Ramson, now Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport on March 13, 2020.
Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo.
According to a letter seen by this publication which is addressed to the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, the DPP stated, “In exercise of the powers conferred on me by Article 187 (1) (c) of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, I hereby discontinue the charge in the above matter.”
According to Article 187:1, “The Director of Public Prosecutions (referred to in this article as ‘the Director’) shall have power in any case in which he or she considers it desirable to do so – (a) to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court, other than a court martial, in respect of any offence against the law of Guyana. (b) to take over and continue any such criminal proceedings that may have been instituted by any other person or authority; and (c) to discontinue at any stage before judgment is delivered any such criminal proceedings instituted or undertaken by him or her or any other person or authority.”
However, Lawrence still faces an electoral fraud charge that was instituted against her by the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The charge alleges forgery in relation to the Region Four results.
PNC’s Volda Lawrence.
Lawrence was released on $50,000, bail and is expected to make her next appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on October 28, 2020.
The DPP on Friday dropped the three private criminal charges against the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield. He too still faces electoral fraud charges that were instituted against him by the Guyana Police Force. Lowenfield was released on a total of $300,000, bail for those charges and next month the matter will continue.
Police had announced last August 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 ongoing probe, several GECOM officials were arrested and put before the court for electoral fraud charges.
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