Elections fraud case trial set for March 4

Jan 16, 2024 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Kaieteur News – More than three years after criminal charges were initiated against several former officials of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), as well as two People’s National Congress/Reform (PNCR) members – in relation to the alleged attempt to rig the March 2020 General and Regional Elections – the trial is slated to commence in March 4, 2024.

The trial for the electoral fraud case will be conducted by Senior Magistrate, Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Those charged are: former GECOM Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers, former District Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, PNC/R members, Volda Lawrence, and Carol Smith-Joseph and other GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Bobb-Cummings and Michelle Miller.

Over 20 electoral fraud-related charges were filed against the defendants, following an investigation into the March 2020 elections and the events that followed.

The state’s legal teams is led by Darshan Ramdhani, KC, and comprises of Attorneys-at-Law Glen Hanoman, Arudranauth Gossai, Ganesh Hira, Mark Conway and George Thomas; while Attorneys-at-Law Nigel Hughes, Ronald Daniels, Eusi Anderson, and Konyo Sandiford are representing the defendants.

During the Case Management Conference (CMC) on Monday, March 4 was set as the commencement date for the trial. Notably, the matters have been consolidated.

With over 80 witnesses to testify, the prosecution will lead its case from March 4 to March 8. The first week in April and May have been set for the hearing of additional testimonies.

The state’s case alleges that the defendants conspired with each other to defraud the electors of Guyana by declaring a false account of votes cast in the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections.

Miller was slapped with a separate charge which alleges that between March 3 and 5, 2020, at the GECOM Command Centre at Ashmin’s building on High and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, she conspired with others to defraud the people of Guyana by not using the figures from the Statements of Poll (SOP) for the purpose of ascertaining the figures to make the declaration of the results for the said District Four, thereby resulting in a false declaration being made for the said district.

Notably, there are other individual charges against some of the defendants.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), former District Four (Demerara-Mahaica), former GECOM Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, Roxanne Myers’

Latest News