“Everybody knew it was a hoax,” Chief of Security at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Ronald Stuart said of the March 05, 2020 bomb scare at the Region Four Command Center in Georgetown.
He appeared before the Commission of Inquiry into the March 02, 20220 elections on Wednesday, and under oath, he said there were attempts by persons in GECOM’s hagiarchy to set him up.
He singled out former Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Roxanne Myers and said he resigned in protest of her instructions to clear the tabulation room at the Command Centre of party agents and observers.
Importantly, he revealed that the first information of a bomb in the building was relayed by two men who identified themselves as ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force. Stuart could not say where the information came from but someone had been arrested for making that call to the police.
In chronicling the events of that day, Stuart said he was at his Barrack at the Fort Street, Kingston, Georgetown office when he received instructions from Myers to go to the Command Center.
Once there, Myers instructed Stuart to go into the tabulation room and get everyone out of the room and ultimately out of the building – everyone except Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.
Stuart said Myers claimed that: “They were interfering with his work. He had to remain and do his work.”
However, in his independent observation, the security chief said he did not get the indication that Mingo was being affected.
“I told her that instruction was inappropriate and I will not carry it out… she said ‘OK’ and she terminated the call.”
It was at this point Stuart said he felt as though he was being set up.
“They [party agents and observers] were invited by GECOM hierarchy and if GECOM hierarchy wanted them out they should go and tell them to leave and not try to set me up,” Stuart told the COI.
“I felt that those people in there were accredited, they were invited and if Ms Myers wanted them out she should have been the person to go in there and tell them to come out, not me.”
He said 15 minutes after he refused to carry out the instruction, the two CID ranks arrived and informed them that a bomb was planted in the building.
Stuart said again he was asked to help clear the room but by this time the agents and observers had refused to leave.
“They said plain they are not moving, let the bomb blow and kill them; they want to see what Mr. Mingo is doing.”
Interestingly, Stuart said Myers retreated to the upper flat of the building.
“She left and went back upstairs where the bomb was planted.
“All the senior people of GECOM were upstairs with other people. Nobody made any attempt to leave upstairs to come downstairs to evacuate the building. Nobody at all let the building at no stage,” Stuart testified.
He said it was clear Myers wanted the tabulation room cleared.
Later, Mingo attempted to make a false declaration of the results. It was at this point that Stuart walked off the job.
“I left immediately, walked out of the building and went home… my integrity and reputation were at stake,” he said.
The Security Chief said he submitted his resignation the next morning because he did not want to be dismissed. No bomb went off or was ever found in the building. After reapplying for the job, Stuart was rehired in the position effective June 01, 2022.
