-as he withdraws contempt Proceedings against Mingo, CEO and others
-admits that there was insufficient evidence

ONE day before the Court was set to rule in a contempt case – Reeaz Holladar v. Returning Officer for Region 4 Clairmont Mingo and others, Anil Nandlall – the applicant’s attorney withdrew the matter over lack of sufficient evidence.

That last-minute decision, which came three months after the matter was initiated, did not sit well with the Chief Justice (ag) Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, who chided Nandlall for wasting the court’s time when he was fully well aware that application, as filed, did not meet the threshold for contempt of court proceedings. “I am very sorry Mr. Nandlall, this is most unacceptable,” the Chief Justice told the Attorney, during the hearing of the case today via Zoom.

Though not handing down her ruling in the matter, Justice George-Wiltshire said that “the evidence is very, very deficient,” and in effect would have wasted the Court’s time. The contempt of court case was filed by a private citizen – the late Reeaz Holladar – over an alleged failure, by the Returning Officer, to adhere to the orders handed down by the High Court on March 11, 2020.

The Chief Justice had ruled that the declaration of votes made by the Region 4 Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo on March 5, was unlawful, on the grounds that there was substantial non-compliance with Section 84 (1) of the Representation of the People Act when the Statements of Poll (SOPs) for District 4 were tabulated. She then ordered that the verification process, which was interrupted, be resumed or restarted, and that the SOPs be tabulated projected in the presence of persons entitled to be there under the law.

One day after, Nandlall, on behalf of Holladar filed Contempt proceedings against Mingo; the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield; and the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice Claudette Singh, though cognizant that there was insufficient evidence to prove his case.

The GECOM, officials were represented by Senior Counsel Neil Boston. The Chief Justice, in granting permission for the case to be withdrawn, awarded the cost of $150,000 each to Mingo, the CEO and the GECOM, for which Holladar’s Estate is required to pay.