Mingo faced with new electoral fraud charge
Clairmont Mingo, the Returning Officer of Region Four, was yesterday read a new charge alleging that he was part of a conspiracy to produce fraudulent results for March 2, 2020 general and regional elections.
Mingo appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where the indictable charge of conspiracy to commit fraud was read to him by Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty.
Chairwoman of the People’s National Congress Reform ( PNCR) Volda Lawrence was also previously charged with the same offence in August.
The charges were filed on March 13 by Charles Ramson Jr against Lawrence and Mingo in relation to the controversial results for District Four.
Mingo, who is already on $600,000 bail for other charges related to electoral fraud, was released on selfbail after the new charge was read to him.
According to the particulars of the offence, “the accused Clairmont Mingo, having been procured by the accused Volda Lawrence on or about March 5, 2020 at Hadfield Street, uttered to the Chief Election Officer ( Keith Lowenfield) a Form 24 Representation of the People Act dated March 5 knowing it to be forged, with intent to defraud the people of the state of Guyana.”
His co-accused, who is out on $100,000 bail in relation to a private criminal charge filed against her for the fraudulent elections declaration of March 5, and Lowenfield also appeared in court.
Lowenfield, who is facing fraud and misconduct charges, which were filed by private citizens over his handling of the results from the March 2nd polls, is currently out on bail.
The charges against Lowenfield state that between March 5th and June 23rd, 2020, he conspired with a person or persons unknown to commit the common law offence of fraud by representing to the Guyana Elections Commission ( GECOM) that tables attached to his June 23 elections report accurately reflected the true results of the elections in order to materially alter the results, with intent to defraud as he knew the tabulation to be false. The New Movement candidate Daniel Kanhai is listed as the complainant for this charge.
The second charge states that while performing his duty as CEO, Lowenfield willfully misconducted himself by ascertaining results of the elections “knowing the said results to be false,” without lawful excuse or justification. That charge was brought by People’s Progressive Party/ Civic ( PPP/ C) candidate Desmond Morian. A third charge, also brought by Morian, alleges that Lowenfield conspired with a person or persons unknown to commit fraud by representing to GECOM that the tables in his March 14 Elections Report reflected the true results of the elections, knowing that the tabulation was false, in order to materially alter the results of the elections.
According to private prosecutor Glenn Hanoman, the matters were fixed for report yesterday and after more statements were presented to the court, the proceedings were adjourned until October 9. He also mentioned that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was not present at court due to her being mandated to attend a training session for public prosecutors.
Hanoman said that yesterday was fixed for Lowenfield to be told whether the DPP would be officially taking over the prosecution of the matter. Lowenfield’s attorney, Nigel Hughes, had previously written to the DPP to decide whether the charges instituted will be allowed to move forward.