–former ‘Top Cop’ tells CoI

THE Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections was reconvened on Wednesday, with retired Police Commissioner Leslie James sharing damning information about a fallout at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) command centre at Ashmin’s building, where his ranks “violated” his orders and simply went rogue.

“What I was seeing was total disorder,” James said, noting that he recalled watching the live-stream of events on national television.

According to James, after seeing the “mayhem and total disorder”, he had to take immediate action.

On March 5, 2020, District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo attempted to make a false declaration from the stairway connecting the ground floor to the first floor of the building.

Mingo had attempted to make the declaration from data derived from spreadsheets, which the Commission had never authorised.

However, his declaration was met with roaring objections by observers, and this caused police officers to block the stairway to the second floor, where the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired judge, Justice Claudette Singh was located.

Previously, several witnesses had testified that the room, which was locked, was guarded by heavily-armed police officers.

The Chairperson had complained of feeling unwell, but witnesses said ranks barred the EMTs from entering the room.

The witnesses recalled that the door was so secure that they had to “push” and “kick” it until it broke open.

During one of the CoI’s hearings, GECOM’s Chief of Security Ronald Stuart had provided details of how the now infamous bomb threat was designed to remove party agents from witnessing the tabulation process for Region Four.

Stuart had testified that he was summoned to the Ashmin’s building by Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Roxanne Myers to get everyone out of the tabulation room, because they were interfering with Mingo’s work.

The witness had said he saw no proof of the alleged interference, and therefore refused to carry out the task he was assigned.

However, 15 minutes later, two male ranks entered the building and identified themselves as being from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force. They informed him that a bomb had been planted in the building. This was later proven to be a hoax.

Another police witness had previously testified about receiving instructions to “clear” the building and “lock it down.” The police recalled that Myers was present and was telling everyone to exit the building.

The witness said that they did not know what the reason for clearing the building was, but he aided in executing the orders.

NO INSTRUCTIONS
However, James during his testimony on Wednesday, revealed that gave no instructions for persons to vacate the buildings, but for the officers to “secure” it instead.

He related, however, that he watched on the live relay as the ranks defied his orders, but he chose to do no nothing.

James added that he contacted the Chairperson, who told him that she was “afraid” and “alone,” but he did not address her security concerns or enquire if her internal security was there to her aid.

“I assumed that they were maybe outside or nearby where she was, but I did not see it necessary to ask where her bodyguards were at the time when she told me,” James said.

However, he was railed by the Commissioners for this action. But James insisted that Justice Singh did not request police presence, so he backed off.

Last year, former Police Division 4 ‘A’ Commander, Edgar Thomas told the COI that a number of security decisions were made without his knowledge during the 2020 elections fiasco, and that he was later punished for refusing to carry out instructions.

Thomas was reassigned and was reportedly told that Commissioner James was not pleased with his performance and not answering his cell phone while on the ground.

However, James said he called Thomas’s cell phone and even his radio set several times to find out what was ongoing on the ground on the day in question but all went unanswered.

This eventually led to the then “Top Cop” making a “personal decision” to remove Thomas.

“Thomas was eventually stood down based on him not responding. As a result of that, his deputy [Senior Superintendent, Phillip] Azore was stood up as the acting commander,” James said.

Senior Counsel Sophia Chote, of Trinidad and Tobago, asked the witness why he did not seek to contact Thomas through another senior officer on the ground. James explained that he attempted to contact Thomas through Deputy Police Commissioner, Maxine Graham.

James when probed by Chote as to whether he’d removed Thomas from his posting and replaced him with Azore without any notification, he conceded.

He explained that this decision was made to avoid any “conflict” in the chain of command that day with his replacement. He also said that officers on the ground were instructed to communicate the “decision” to Thomas.

“So, you prefer to leave him there believing that he was in command when you put somebody else in command?” Chote asked James.

However, James reiterated that he had instructed another officer to communicate the institutions to Thomas.

“It would have been an awkward position. But it was a decision that required to be made. As I said, based on what was happening, based on the need for somebody to be there in command, that decision was made,” James said.

He added that a few days after, Thomas was summoned to his office where an inquiry was held into his conduct for abandoning his division and ranks.

However, the elections CoI commissioners said the former Police Commissioner put the cart before the horse, since he had relieved Thomas of his duties and days later moved to hold an inquiry.

James maintained, nevertheless, that in the interest of “security,” Thomas was removed.

Thomas had testified that the reassignment was not one for his rank and noted that he was provided no accommodations to work.

However, it wasn’t until August 2020 that Thomas was promoted and became head of the Presidential Guard when the administration changed.