The case of the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield was put off in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court Friday as a representative from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) did not show up in Court.
The parties were given until October 9 to get all their files in. The trial is then expected to start on October 26.
Senior Counsel Neil Boston, the Attorney for Lowenfield, was adamant that there is no case against his client and said he will be seeking a dismissal of the case.
On August 14, the case filed against Lowenfield was postponed until August 24, 2020, as lawyers were then awaiting a decision from the DPP on whether she will agree with submissions made by counsel to drop the charges against him.
The charges against Lowenfield were filed on June 30 by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) member Desmond Morian and Member of The New Movement, Daniel Josh Kanhai relating to fraud, misconduct in office and breach of the public’s trust by providing results of the March 2 elections which he knows to be false.
Lowenfield first appeared in court on July 24 where he was granted $450,000 bail; $150,000 bail on each charge.
In charges filed against the CEO, it is alleged that between March 5, 2020, and June 23, 2020, Lowenfield conspired with person (s) unknown to commit a common law Fraud, “to wit, by presenting to the Guyana Elections Commission, the tables attached to his Elections Report dated 14th day of March 2020, accurately reflected the true results of the said election, in order to materially alter the results of the said election, with intent to defraud, knowing the tabulation to be false.”
“The Accused between 5th March 2020 and 29th June 2020 while performing his duty as the Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission, without lawful excuse or justification, willfully misconducted himself at Georgetown…a place within the Georgetown Magisterial District by ascertaining results of the 2nd March 2020, General and Regional Elections for Guyana knowing the said results to be false, the said willful misconduct amounting to a breach of the public’s trust in the Office of the Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission,” the court document stated.
Lowenfield came under scrutiny for preparing his elections report on March 5 which shows a victory for the incumbent APNU+AFC Coalition based on fraudulent and inflated figures provided by Clairmont Mingo, the Returning Officer for Guyana’s largest voting district- Region 4.
The national recount proved that Mingo inflated votes in favour of the Coalition and it was the PPP that actually won the March 2 elections by over 15,000 votes.
The PPP has maintained that Lowenfield knew the true winner the elections since he would have in his possession GECOM’s Statements of Poll (SOPs).
As a result of Mingo’s fraud, GECOM embarked on the national vote recount following which Lowenfield in his summary provided a table which revealed the totals for the ten electoral districts which were signed off by GECOM’s own staff as being valid; when added up, Lowenfield’s report shows the PPP winning the elections by 15, 416 votes.
One of the “asks” for social peace will be the dropping of charges against all GECOM staff? That will help ensure that they never talk about who and how much. The question remains who killed the Henry lads? Who stood to gain? Who stood to lose?