Latest update March 13th, 2026 12:35 AM
No-show lawyer stalls 2020 elections fraud trial again
Kaieteur News- The long-running case stemming from the alleged fraud surrounding Guyana’s 2020 General and Regional Elections was delayed yet again on Tuesday after a defence attorney failed to appear for a critical phase of the proceedings.
Among those facing charges in the case are: former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, former District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, former Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers, former Health Minister Volda Lawrence, APNU+AFC Chief Scrutineer Carol Smith Joseph, and former GECOM employees Sheffern February, Michelle Miller, and Denise Babb-Cummings.
2020 elections fraud trial
The charges stem from allegations that between March 2 and August 2, 2020, the accused conspired to manipulate election results at the Ashmins Building in Georgetown, defrauding electors across the country.
During the proceedings before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, the court was informed that attorney Eusi Anderson, who represents defendant Denise Babb-Cummings, was out of the jurisdiction and could not be contacted. Despite the defence lawyers repeated attempts to reach him, there was no communication from the defence attorney.
At this stage in the trial, the court was engaged in a voir dire—a trial within a trial—to determine the admissibility of certain evidence specifically related to February. Witnesses had arrived, ready to testify, but without Anderson presence, who is the leading the cross-examination process the court was forced to end the proceedings to a later date.
Magistrate McGusty then set the next hearing for tomorrow and indicated that she would propose structured hearing dates for the coming months to avoid any further delays. Potential trial blocks for mid-March and late April 2026 were suggested as part of efforts to ensure that the case maintains momentum after years of interruptions. Since the commencement of the proceedings in 2021, the trial has faced numerous delays. The current voir dire marks the fourth such procedural exercise in the case.
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- Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, Ashmins Building in Georgetown, Carol Smith Joseph, Clairmont Mingo, Eusi Anderson, Guyana Elections Commission, Keith Lowenfield, Roxanne Myers’, Volda Lawrence
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