Volda Lawrence: I have done nothing wrong

One day after being arrested and held for hours for questioning by the police, Chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) Volda Lawrence on Wednesday made yet another Court appearance; this time she faces two new charges.

Already facing private criminal charges, Lawrence’s legal team will now have to prepare her defense against the charges of conspiracy to defraud – one for the general elections and another for regional elections, both held on March 02 2020.

Lawrence was granted bail in the sum of $50,000 on each charge.

The former Health Minister’s Attorney Nigel Hughes told reporters that Tarik Mohamed from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Office told the Court that he was not ready to move forward with the case and it has been put down until December 9, 2020.

Emerging to chants of “woman power” by supporters gathered outside the Georgetown Magistrates Court, Lawrence said she remains strong and insisted on her innocence.

“I know I have done nothing wrong and I continue to say that because that’s what it is,” she declared.

Lawrence believes that there is an attempt to have a political pullback and use the state apparatus to harass and persecute her in the process.

Lawrence has not explained how her signature appeared 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.