PNCR Chairperson Volda Lawrence, who was charged with conspiring to forge documents to show a win for the APNU+AFC at the March 2 General and Regional Elections is expected to present herself for questioning at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Monday.
Guyana Police Force Press Officer Assistant Commissioner Royston Andries-Junor explained that as the probe into the March 2, 2020 post-election incidents continue, investigators made contact with Lawrence’s attorney Nigel Hughes.

He said this was done after Hughes identified himself as the attorney for Lawrence.
The invitation the assistant commissioner said was with a view to inviting her to CID Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown, to put an allegation to her in relation to the said investigation.
Hughes, he said, indicated that he would bring Lawrence in at 10:00hrs on Saturday, but this did not happen.
“However, the said attorney then contacted the police investigators and requested the exercise of their discretion to permit him to bring his client at the said police CID location for 16:00hrs, on the said date. The police investigators had no difficulty in acceding to the attorney’s request and so the time for Ms. Lawrence to report to the CID location in the company of her attorney was duly re-scheduled as requested,” the press officer noted.

Further, he said: “The GPF notes with grave concern the distorted and blatantly false statements in a press release issued by APNU+AFC, which falsely claims that the police demanded that Ms. Lawrence come to the CID late on the said Saturday, October 10 afternoon. This claim is completely erroneously [sic] and can only be viewed as a convenient attempt to create public mischief and impede the ongoing police investigations into the March 2, 2020 post-elections incidents.”

On August 24 Lawrence was placed on $100,000 bail in relation to a private criminal charge filed against her for the fraudulent elections declaration of March 5.
The charge was filed against her and Clairmont Mingo, GECOM’s Returning Officer for Region Four since their signatures were found on the declaration; a national vote recount found that the numbers were inflated in favour of the Coalition.

The charge was filed by PPP/C member and current Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson, Jnr. on March 16. Ramson is represented by Attorney Glen Hanoman.
Mingo is also facing several fraud charges, including uttering a forged document with intent to defraud the public, contrary to Section 278 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act.
Mingo is currently on $600,000 bail for charges related to electoral fraud.

Mingo and Lawrence’s case was adjourned to November 16, 2020, to allow the prosecution time to complete the filing of statements.

BAIL
Meanwhile, on Friday, Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Roxanne Myers was released on $300,000 bail after pleading not guilty to two counts of misconduct in public office.
She appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
Myers was represented by attorneys Nigel Hughes and Ronald Daniels, while prosecutor Teriq Mohammed of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) chambers appeared on behalf of the State.

The charges against Myers state that between March 4 and March 14, 2020, in Georgetown, while being a public officer, that is to say the Deputy Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission, she wilfully misconducted herself together with Clairmont Mingo and others, to declare a fraudulent account of votes for the General and Regional Elections which amounted to a breach of the public’s trust in the office of the said DCEO of the Guyana Elections Commission, without any reasonable excuse or justification. She was released on a total of $300,000 bail and the case was adjourned to October 23, 2020.

Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, who is also before the court but on three private criminal fraud charges, is expected to go on trial next month. On Friday, when the case was called before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, the prosecutor had just filed additional statements. He was given until October 23 to file the remainder.
The charges were filed by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) member Desmond Morian, and General Secretary of The New Movement (TNM), Daniel Kanhai, on June 30, 2020.
The magistrate has set November 13 for commencement of the trial for the case filed by Morian, while Kanhai’s matter was given a November 20 start date.

YET TO RESPOND

Lowenfield’s attorney Nigel Hughes had written the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), requesting that the three criminal charges be withdrawn. The DPP is yet to respond to that request. No representative from her chambers was in court for Friday’s hearing.
When the charges were read to Lowenfield in July, he was not required to plead. He was later released on $450,000 bail. Kanhai is alleging that Lowenfield, between March 5 and June 23, 2020, at Georgetown, 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 alleging that Lowenfield, between March 5, 2020, and June 29, 2020, while performing his duty as CEO, without lawful excuse or justification, wilfully misconducted himself at Georgetown by ascertaining results of the March 2 elections, knowing the said results to be false. This wilful misconduct, he alleges, amounted to a breach of the public’s trust in the Office of the Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission.

The second charge filed by Morian against Lowenfield claims that, in collusion with Region Four District Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, he altered results that had been declared in March for that district. The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has launched a “comprehensive” investigation against Lowenfield and Mingo, after it received formal reports of alleged criminal misconduct by the duo. The police in a statement noted that formal reports allege criminal conduct by the two and others in relation to the elections and events subsequent thereto.
As a result, Police Headquarters noted that legal advice was obtained from the DPP, and the GPF was advised to launch a comprehensive investigation into these allegations in accordance with its mandate.

“The DPP has further indicated that in the exercise of powers vested in her, under Article 187 of the Constitution, she will take over the private criminal charges currently pending in the Magistrates’ Court in relation to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and its aftermath,” the police stated.

As the country’s chief elections officer, Lowenfield had presented results for the elections with the exact inflated figures for the APNU+AFC Coalition as was declared by Mingo. The results were described as fraudulent and there was a public outcry. A national vote recount which was done subsequently, clearly established that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) was the winner of the elections. The election results were finally announced on August 2, after a five-month delay.
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Picture saved as Volda Lawrence
Caption: PNCR Chair Volda Lawrence