Elections Trial: Shuman details alleged vote manipulation

The 2020 election fraud trial continued this week with testimony from former Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) Presidential Candidate Lenox Shuman, who described witnessing what he say was a deliberate attempt to tamper with the Region Four vote tabulation during the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Taking the witness stand at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Monday, and returning Tuesday for cross-examination, Shuman told Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty that he repeatedly objected to irregularities at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Command Centre located at Ashmin’s Building.

He recalled seeing former GECOM staffer Enrique Livan operating a computer connected to a printer that was generating a spreadsheet filled with “pre-populated numbers” for Region Four, which he believed could have replaced the official Statements of Poll (SOPs).

“I saw Mr. Livan in front of the computer in a typing motion, a flash drive in the computer… a printer actively printing paper. On the paper it contained pre-populated numbers for Region Four with all the votes. Mr. Livan did not say a word. He simply closed the computer screen down and put his head on the desk,” Shuman testified.

He further recounted that when he arrived at the centre on March 3, 2020, there was a “commotion” as some counting agents complained of fatigue and a suggestion was made to use a spreadsheet instead of the SOPs. Shuman said he strongly objected, insisting that the official process be followed. According to him, party agents soon began noticing discrepancies between the numbers being called and the SOPs—a situation that worsened when Livan assumed control of the process.

Shuman alleged that at one point, Livan shut down the computer, left the room, and re-entered another area where he appeared to manipulate data using a flash drive. He said he collected printed papers as evidence and later handed them over to police.

He also testified that the then Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, attempted to prematurely declare results on March 5, 2020, even though the tabulation was incomplete. According to Shuman, the spreadsheet he observed already contained results for all districts before those numbers were officially tallied.

Under cross-examination by defence attorneys Nigel Hughes, Eusi Anderson, and Darren Wade, Shuman was questioned, among other things, on his authority to comment on the SOPs.

Nine individuals, including former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, former Deputy CEO Roxanne Myers, Mingo, and former government minister Volda Lawrence, are charged with conspiring to manipulate the Region Four results in favour of the APNU+AFC coalition, thereby denying victory to the PPP.

Meanwhile, defendant Carol Smith-Joseph was granted an extension by the High Court to remain overseas for medical treatment.

The trial is scheduled to continue on Wednesday.