THE personal assistant to Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, has been arrested, as investigators continue their probe into allegations of fraud following the March 02 General and Regional Elections.

Duarte Hetsberger, 39, is a lieutenant in the Guyana Defence Force but was seconded to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) a few years ago.

Police said he was arrested in relation to his alleged criminal conduct surrounding the elections.

In 2016, Duarte Hetsberger served as the returning officer for Georgetown for the Local Government Elections.

He served in the same capacity for the 2018 Local Government Elections.

The arrest was made one day after misconduct in public office and fraud charges were filed against the District Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, and two of his colleagues, Shefern February and Enrique Livan.

Mingo was placed on $600,000 bail while February was released on $300,000 bail and Livan $150,000.

Meanwhile, the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, is on $450,000 bail after he was placed before the court for alleged fraud and misconduct.

He is expected to return to court on September 11. The charges in question were filed by Desmond Morian, and Daniel Kanhai, on June 30, 2020.

In his private criminal charge, Kanhai is alleging that Lowenfield, between March 5 and June 23, 2020, at Georgetown, in the Georgetown Magisterial District, County of Demerara, State of Guyana, conspired with person(s) unknown to commit the common law offence of fraud, to wit, by representing to the Guyana Elections Commission, that tables attached to his Election Report, dated June 23, 2020, accurately reflected the true results of the said election, in order to materially alter the results of the said election, with intent to defraud, knowing the said tabulation to be false.

Morian is also alleging that Lowenfield, between March 5, 2020, and June 29, 2020, while performing his duty as the chief elections officer of GECOM, without lawful excuse or justification, wilfully misconducted himself at Georgetown, within the Georgetown Magisterial District, by ascertaining results of the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections for Guyana, knowing the said results to be false. The said wilful misconduct amounting to a breach of the public’s trust in the office of the chief elections officer of the Guyana Elections Commission.

The second charge which was filed by Morian against Lowenfield claimed that he, allegedly, with Region Four District Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, altered results that had been declared in March for that district.

Recently, Guyana Police Force (GPF) has launched a ‘comprehensive’ investigation against the Chief Elections Officer and the Returning Officer for Region Four after it received formal reports of alleged criminal misconduct by the duo.