Chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) Volda Lawrence was Tuesday morning arrested and is currently being detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters at Eve Leary, Georgetown.
Police had asked to meet with Lawrence at the weekend but after resistance, she voluntarily surrendered to the Police on Tuesday with her Attorney Nigel Hughes.
Already facing private criminal charges for forgery and conspiracy to commit fraud, the former Health Minister was arrested by female Inspector Castello promptly after arriving at CID.
According to Hughes, the offence for which she was arrested relates to activities that took place at the Ashmins Building where the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) ran its operations centre for the March 02, 2020 elections.
Hughes collected Lawrence’s handbag and other personal items and handed it over to party supporters who had gathered outside the CID building.
It was while in conversation with them that Hughes indicated that Lawrence has already notified the police of her “medical condition.”
A woman broke into tears on learning of Lawrence’s detention.
Lawrence’s signature was on the fraudulent declaration of March 05, 2020, which Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo declared. The declaration contained inflated figures designed to hand the APNU+AFC coalition a victory.
On August 24, Lawrence was placed on $100,000 bail in relation to a private criminal charge filed against her for the fraudulent elections’ declaration of March 5.
The charge was filed against her and Mingo since their signatures were found on the declaration; a national vote recount found that the numbers were inflated in favour of the Coalition.
The charge was filed by PPP/C member and current Minister of Culture Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson, Jnr. on March 16.
One side of me feels sorry for ex-Minister Lawrence, but she made her own bed and now must lie in it. is Attorney Hughes being paid by the Party or the charged person? Because these persons need an independent lawyer that is working for them and not the party or they will find themselves buried in jail with no way out. Very important to have representation that has your own interest at heart. He/she might tell you sing like a canary.