Charges against GECOM Chair dropped

The private criminal charges filed against Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Justice (rt’d) Claudette Singh have been dismissed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

In a letter sent to the Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and seen by the News Room, the Director of the DPP Shalimar Ali-Hack informed: “In exercise of the powers conferred on me by article 187 (1) (c) of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, I hereby discontinue the charge in the above matter.”

When contacted by the News Room, Justice Singh said the charges were never served on her.

Three citizens filed the charges in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on July 29, including an election agent of the APNU+AFC coalition Lorraine Joseph whose listed address is Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara.

Joseph worked on Election Day as a Polling Agent for the Coalition and signed off on a Statement of Poll at a South Rupununi, Region #9 polling station.

The other two persons are Keith Ondaan of Central Amelia’s Ward, Linden and Onita Walcott of Victoria, East Coast Demerara.

The three private charges amount to misconduct in public office contrary to the common law and state that she performed her duties as Chairman of GECOM unlawfully on more than one occasion following the March 02, 2020 election.

Attorney-at-Law Sanjeev Datadin had already disregarded the charges as malicious prosecution, intimidation and harassment.