Elections fraud case progresses as evidence re-organised, disclosed to court for faster hearing

The high-profile elections fraud case, which has been stalled for years, is set to see movement as Senior Magistrate Leron Daly adjourned the proceedings until January 15, 2024.

On that date, a Case Management Conference (CMC) will be held to set the stage for the upcoming trial at Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

On Tuesday, the State provided flash drives containing certified copies of Statements of Poll (SOPs) and Statements of Recount (SORs), along with video interviews, as part of the evidence.

Attorney Darshan Ramdhani, KC, who is the prosecutor in the case, said this will streamline the court proceedings after Magistrate Daly requested more organised evidence for easier access.

Magistrate Daly commended the prosecution for the organised approach but one of the defendant’s lawyers, Eusi Anderson, expressed concerns about verifying the consistency of the evidence submitted now with that provided in 2021.

Magistrate Daly clarified that the court requested better organisation, not different statements, cautioning against pre-emptive skepticism.

“Same statements, better organised…The court does not have the impression that there are different statements,” Magistrate Daly told him.

On January 15, 2024, the defendants are expected to uplift the statements, and the court will schedule a date for the CMC hearing and subsequently determine a trial date.

It is alleged that the defendants conspired during the March 2, 2020, general and regional elections to defraud the electors of Guyana by declaring a false account of votes cast.

Those accused include former APNU+AFC government minister, Volda Lawrence; former GECOM Returning Officer for District Four, Clairmont Mingo; former GECOM Deputy Chief Election Officer, Roxanne Myers; APNU+AFC’s Chief Scrutineer, Carol Smith Joseph and former GECOM Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, among others.

As the hearing approaches, the court anticipates clarity from Chancellor of Judiciary (ag) Yonette Cummings regarding the possibility of appointing a special magistrate or court to adjudicate the case.