– Lawrence, Joseph, Mingo among others make court appearances

FIVE persons, including Chairperson of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), Volda Lawrence; opposition activist, Carol Joseph and Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, were, on Wednesday, hauled before the court on electoral fraud charges.

Lawrence, a former Health Minister; Joseph, Mingo and Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) clerks, Michelle Miller and Denise Bob-Cummings, were all arraigned separately before Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Mingo and Lawrence were charged jointly. It is alleged that on March 5, 2020, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud the public, they uttered a certain forged document, that is to say, a report purporting to be a true declaration of all votes cast in District Four for the March 2 General and Regional Elections, knowing same to be forged.
They were each released on $30,000 bail.

Mingo and Joseph were also jointly charged. It is alleged that on March 13, 2020, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud the public, they uttered a certain forged document purporting to be a true report of all votes cast in the elections, knowing same to be forged.
They were both released on $30,000 bail.

Meanwhile, Joseph was slapped with two other charges which alleged that on March 13, at High and Hadfield Street, Georgetown, she conspired with Mingo and others, to declare a fraudulent account of votes for District Four in the March 2 elections. She was released on a total of $60,000 bail.

Miller was also slapped with two charges. It is alleged that between March 3 and March 5, at High and Hadfield Street, together and with others, with intent to defraud the people of Guyana, being appointed as a Clerk for District Four by GECOM for the purpose of the elections, in assisting Mingo, she did not use the figures from the Statements of Poll for the purpose of ascertaining the figures to make the declaration of the results for the said elections as is required by law, thereby resulting in a false declaration being made for the said District Four. She was released on a total of $60,000 bail.
Further, Cummings was charged with two similar offences which were allegedly committed on March 13 at GECOM Headquarters, High and Cowan Street, Kingston. She too was released on a total of $60,000 bail.

The defendants were represented by a team of prominent attorneys which included Nigel Hughes, Eusi Anderson and Darren Wade. The State was represented by prosecutor, Teriq Mohammed, from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Chambers.
The cases were adjourned to October 28.

Over the last few weeks, Lawrence, Mingo and Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, have made court appearances and were charged with playing a role in the alleged commission of electoral fraud.

Last week, Lawrence appeared before the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, and was released on $100,000 bail for two counts of conspiracy.
The charges alleged that on March 5, 2020, at High and Hadfield Streets, Georgetown, she conspired with GECOM’s Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, and others, to declare a fraudulent account of votes for District Four in the March 2 elections.
On August 24, 2020, she was placed on $100,000 bail by Magistrate McLennan in relation to a private criminal charge filed against her for the alleged fraudulent elections declaration of March 5, 2020. She was jointly charged with Mingo, who was released on self-bail for the indictment.
That charge was filed given that their signatures were on said declaration. A national vote recount which was done subsequently found that the numbers on the declaration were inflated in favour of the APNU+AFC.

Mingo is also before the court on several fraud charges, including uttering a forged document with intent to defraud the public, contrary to Section 278 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act.
He was granted $600,000 bail on those charges and the case adjourned to November 16, to allow the prosecution time to complete the filing of statements.
Two Fridays ago, 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, when she appeared before the Chief Magistrate. Hughes and Ronald Daniels are her attorneys.

Additionally, Lowenfield is before the court on three private criminal fraud charges and is expected to go on trial next month.
Magistrate Faith McGusty, who is presiding at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, is hearing those matters which 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.
Lowenfield has been accused of presenting elections results with the exact inflated figures in favour of the APNU+AFC. Those same figures were declared by Mingo.
He was not required to plead and was released on $450,000 bail