Police commander testifies to finding GECOM officer with missing flash drive during 2020 elections tabulation

May 22, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News- Two witnesses took the stand on Wednesday in the ongoing 2020 elections fraud trial at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Testimony on Wednesday revealed a series of dramatic incidents, including a missing flash drive incident, the forced entry into the GECOM Chairman’s office and an alleged breach of police barricades. The case involves several high-profile defendants: former Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield; former Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; former Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers; former Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence; APNU+AFC Chief Scrutineer, Carol Smith-Joseph; and former GECOM staff members, Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Michelle Miller, and Denise Babb-Cummings. The group is accused of conspiring to rig the March 2, 2020 elections, specifically in relation to events at the Ashmins Building in Georgetown.

The trial resumed under Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, who took over after Senior Magistrate Leron Daly fell ill. As a result, Minister of Local Government, Sonia Parag, who had previously testified, was required to retake the stand. She had served as an election agent for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) during the 2020 elections. While Parag’s testimony was scheduled to continue, the courtroom also heard from Assistant Commissioner of Police Edgar Thomas, who was the Regional Commander of Division 4A (Georgetown). Thomas recounted his experience during the election tabulation on March 5, 2020.

Police discover GECOM officer with flash drive

Thomas testified that around 1:58 hrs on March 5, he received a phone call from the operational room at Brickdam Police Station. He was informed that someone involved in the tabulation process at the Ashmins Building had allegedly removed a flash drive from the tabulation area and entered a private room. “I was in office at Brickdam and I received a phone call from the operational room that someone from GECOM command center reported that one of the persons who were tasked with the tabulation of the result was seen removing a flash drive that appears to have data from the tabulation center and went into a room,” Thomas testified.

Thomas said he proceeded to the Ashmins building, along with Divisional Detective Officer, Julius Wright, and a CID team, arriving at approximately 2:10hrs. “When I got into the building, several local and overseas observers and party representatives reported the same thing, that someone assigned to the tabulation center had removed a flash drive and was in a room with a computer,” he said. However, when asked to identify those who made the reports, Thomas said he could not recall their names.

Thomas was led to a room on the lower eastern floor, close to the tabulation center, where he encountered a man identified as GECOM Information Technology Technician, Enrique Livan. “I was pointed out to the person in that room, who I spoke to, and he gave his name as Enrique Livan,” Thomas stated. According to Thomas, Livan admitted to removing the flash drive but denied tampering with any data. “He claimed that he was a bit tired and catching some rest because we found him lying over on the desk, leaning forward in a chair. But the fact that he had the flash drive and was on a laptop raised serious concerns, especially given the circumstances,” Thomas said.

When CID officers confronted Livan with the allegation that he had removed the flash drive and entered the room to alter data, Livan reportedly denied tampering with the content. Thomas also noted hearing then opposition MP Dr. Frank Anthony saying, “He was tampering with the data.” However, Thomas noted that Anthony was not in the room at the time. Police subsequently seized the flash drive and computer.

Thomas said he contacted Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, by phone for clarification. Lowenfield reportedly responded: “Problem again.” Shortly afterwards, police brought Lowenfield to the command center at Ashmins. Upon arrival, a discussion took place among him, police, and party representatives regarding police custody of the flash drive and the computer. Thomas recalled that the group eventually agreed that the data should be displayed on a large screen at the command center.

Thomas testified that Livan, under Lowenfield’s direction, was responsible for projecting the contents of the flash drive. After the data was displayed, PPP representative, Dr. Anthony, reportedly remarked: “How this reach here?” Following that, a hard copy of the data was requested. Lowenfield delivered it, and Dr. Anthony compared it to what was shown on the screen, stating the results “seem to be unacceptable.” Despite the irregularities, Lowenfield expressed exhaustion and requested to leave.

Thomas noted that after the data was reviewed, operations were suspended, and Livan exited the tabulation center. Thomas escorted Lowenfield home. Upon returning, Thomas instructed officers to prevent anyone from entering the building. Later, at around 9:50 hrs., Thomas was informed of a bomb threat at the Ashmins Building. Upon arriving, he saw observers and party members still inside and ordered an evacuation. Election observers and others refused to leave, saying they did not find the threat credible and preferred to remain.

An hour later, the bomb squad cleared the building as safe. Investigations traced the threat to a resident of La Penitence, allegedly the nephew of a former Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Business. “She approached me for bail of her nephew, who was alleged to have made the phone call,” Thomas stated.

Barricades

Meanwhile, the court also heard testimony from Kian Jabour, an executive member of A New and United Guyana (ANUG). Jabour described how he and others were blocked from entering the tabulation room on March 5. Jabour testified about breaching police barricades to access the third floor of the Ashmins Building, where the Office of the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was located. He admitted to pushing past two police officers, acknowledging that he had no legal authority to do so, but acted out of urgency.

“I felt democracy was under threat, and time was of the essence,” Jabour told the court, adding that he was accompanied by several People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) officials, including the now President, Irfaan Ali.

Upon reaching the third floor, Jabour said the group demanded access to the GECOM Chair’s office. When the door was not opened, “entrance was achieved,” he stated, a phrase that, under cross-examination conducted by attorney Nigel Hughes, was clarified to mean the door had been forcibly kicked open. “I did not physically kick the door down,” Jabour claimed. However, when questioned by Hughes, who referred to prior conflicting statements, Jabour admitted to defying police instructions. “I knew the police’s instructions should be obeyed, but I went past them anyway,” he admitted.

Despite the dramatic events, Jabour acknowledged that no formal protest letter was presented to the GECOM Chair and that he never spoke directly with her after the forced entry. “I did not,” he repeated when asked if any official challenge or documentation had been submitted at the time. The hearing concluded with Minister Parag scheduled to resume her testimony today, while Thomas remains on standby.

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