Elections fraud trial adjourned until September 14

The trial into the March 2020 General and Regional Elections has been adjourned to September 14, 2026, following delays caused by the unavailability of key witnesses.

Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty made the decision on Wednesday when the matter was called at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The court was informed that a witness scheduled to testify was unable to attend due to an emergency, preventing the proceedings from moving forward as planned.

Although hearings had been scheduled to continue until the end of the week, the case could not proceed due to the unexpected absence, as well as scheduling conflicts involving both the magistrate and the prosecution.

The matter is being managed under strict case management guidelines, with court dates set in advance after consultation between the defence and prosecution.

At the previous hearing, the trial was also delayed after defence attorney Nigel Hughes objected to the former Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Aneal Giddings, giving testimony virtually. Giddings, who is currently out of the country, was not physically present in court. It was later established that he would not be returning this year, though he is expected to provide a future date for his testimony.

The trial, which began in early 2024, has faced repeated delays. While prosecutors have already led evidence from more than half of their witnesses, several remain outstanding, leaving the case still ongoing.

Nine persons are currently before the court charged with conspiring to manipulate the 2020 election results in favour of the APNU+AFC coalition in an alleged attempt to deny victory to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

Among those charged are former government minister Volda Lawrence, former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, former Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, and former Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers.

The controversy surrounding the March 2020 elections delayed the declaration of results for five months before PPP/C presidential candidate Irfaan Ali was sworn in as President on August 2, 2020.