THE personal assistant to Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, was placed on $100,000 bail on Friday and is expected to report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters as investigators continue their probe into allegations of fraud, following the March 02 General and Regional Elections.
Duarte Hetsberger, 39, was detained Tuesday and the 72-hour maximum detention period expired Friday.

Hetsberger 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 and 2018 Hetsberger served as the returning officer for Georgetown, in the Local Government Elections.

His arrest was made in the aftermath of fraud charges that 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, 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.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has recently launched a ‘comprehensive’ investigation against the chief elections officer and the returning officer of Region Four, after it received formal reports of alleged criminal misconduct by GECOM operatives.