The 2020 electoral fraud trial resumed at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, with tabulation officer Bebi Anieshaw Mohamed taking the stand.
Mohamed, who worked for the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) during the elections, testified about discrepancies she observed in the tabulation process on March 4, 2020.
She told the court that during the process, one of the defendants, Enrique Livan, “began calling numbers from a paper and not a Statement of Poll,” which did not match her records.
Mohamed said she and others objected repeatedly, but their concerns were ignored.
“That process went on even though objections were made of the inaccuracies because not only did I possess a copy of the PPP/C’s copy [of the] statement of poll, but other parties present possessed their copies as well, and they made objections as well,” she said.
Mohamed further explained that after objections persisted over five ballot boxes, Livan reported that he was tired and left the room with a flash drive. She later found him in the Ashmin Building working on a laptop with the drive plugged in.
“The minute the door opened, he closed the laptop, and he rested his head on the desk,” she recounted.
According to her, the tabulation process was subsequently halted that night, and the following day, former Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo entered the room and began reading from a legal-size paper, prompting further objections.
Mohamed later learned that the Guyana Elections Commission website declared APNU the winner of District Four by over 19,000 votes.
Mohamed also testified about her role as a tabulation agent during the recount that followed several legal challenges. She is expected to continue her testimony and will later be cross-examined by the defence.
The trial is scheduled to continue today.
The trial concerns allegations of electoral fraud arising from the disputed General and Regional Elections held on March 2, 2020.
Among those before the court are former GECOM officials Keith Lowenfield, who served as Chief Elections Officer (CEO); Roxanne Myers, the former Deputy CEO; and former Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.
They are joined by former Health Minister under the previous APNU+AFC administration, Volda Lawrence, and PNCR executive member Carol Smith-Joseph.
In addition, former GECOM staff members Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Babb-Cummings, and Michelle Miller are also listed among the accused.
Together, they face 19 charges ranging from conspiracy to defraud to misconduct in public office.
The March 2, 2020 elections remain one of Guyana’s most contentious political episodes.
Initial figures from Lowenfield declared an APNU+AFC victory, but a Caribbean Community (CARICOM)-supervised recount revealed a PPP/C win, leading to Dr. Irfaan Ali’s swearing-in as president on August 2, 2020.
A later Presidential Commission of Inquiry concluded that senior GECOM officials made “shockingly brazen attempts” to subvert the lawful vote count.
Lowenfield, Myers, and Mingo were dismissed by GECOM after the allegations of electoral fraud surfaced.
