Over 100 witnesses to testify against Mingo

Over 100 witnesses are expected to testify in the trial against embattled Returning Officer of Region Four Clairmont Mingo who faces charges of misconduct in public office relating to the March 2 general and regional elections.

On August 31, Mingo made his first appearance before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on four charges and was released on $600,000 bail.

On Friday morning, Mingo made another appearance before the Chief Magistrate where prosecutor Tariq Mohammed from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions made a partial disclosure of statements.

Mohammed also made an application for summary disposal which would allow Mingo to plea to the charges.

However, Mingo’s attorney Nigel Hughes objected on the basis that he wanted to know if the Police were bringing anymore charges against his client.

The Prosecutor disclosed that the file is so far incomplete and at this time he would be unable to answer that question. He indicated that so far he has over 100 witnesses to testify.

The Chief Magistrate set December 15 for full disclosure.

The first two charges against Mingo allege that on March 5, 2020, at High and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, he engaged in misconduct as a public officer by declaring a result for District Four without ascertaining the total votes cast in favour of each list in the said District Four.

The case against him is that he failed to add up the votes recorded in favour of each list, in accordance with the Statements of Poll, and in the eyes of the law, amounts to a breach of the public’s trust without any reasonable excuse or justification.

The last two charges allege that Mingo again committed the same offences on March 13, 2020 at the Head Office of the Guyana Elections Commission, High and Cowan Streets, Kingston.

Mingo is also before another court with a joint fraud charge with former government minister Volda Lawrence.

The charge alleges that he, having been ‘procured’ by Lawrence, on or about March 5, 2020, at Hadfield and High Streets, Georgetown, uttered to the Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield, a Form 24 Representation of the People Act Regional Elections Election Return, dated March 5, 2020, knowing same to be forged, with intent to defraud the people of the State of Guyana.