Decision expected next week on start date for trial over elections fraud
A decision is expected to be made next week on a trial date for the seven persons accused of conspiring to change the results of the 2020 elections.
Those facing charges are People’s National Congress Reform Chairperson Volda Lawrence; former Region Four, Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo; and APNU+AFC member, Carol Smith-Joseph, who are being represented by attorney Nigel Hughes, as well as Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Registration Clerks Shefern February, Michelle Miller and Denise Babb– Cummings and Information Technology Officer Enrique Livan, who allegedly conspired with them. They face charges that include conspiracy to commit fraud and forgery.
A hearing is slated for the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on December 17, when it will be decided whether the trial will start on the following court date. At the previous hearing in October, Prosecutor Darshan Ramdhani handed over several boxes containing certified copies of Statements of Poll (SOPs) and Statements of Recount (SORs) from the March 2nd 2020 general and regional elections to the court.
Copies of the SOPs and SORs were also due to be handed over to seven persons accused of conspiring to change the results of the 2020 elections. During the session, Ramdhani said the evidence consists of four boxes for each of the seven defendants and for the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, who is presiding over the matter.
The prosecutor explained that the boxes contain an index of all of the Statements of Poll, as well as 10 discs for each of the defendants. Additionally, the court heard that the documents were scanned and would be emailed to the defendants.
The seven are accused of conspiring to inflate the results of Region Four– Guyana’s largest voting district– to give the APNU+AFC Coalition a majority win at the polls. The dispute over the District Four vote count led to a 35-day recount scrutinized by CARICOM, and various observer groups. The recount determined that the PPP/C had won the elections. Following
several legal challenges, the declaration of the results was made five months after the March 2 polling.