-elections CoI hears

FORMER Police Division 4 ‘A’ Commander, Edgar Thomas, on Monday disclosed that the suspect in the bomb threat at the building that housed the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) command centre for the March 2020 Regional and General Elections, is the relative of a former Deputy Permanent Secretary (PS).

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the events surrounding the elections was reconvened on Monday, and Thomas was called to give further evidence.

He had previously testified that on March 5, 2020, ranks and officers from at least three sections of the Guyana Police Force converged at Ashmin’s building in the midst of a bomb scare.

Several of those ranks then played a role in the vehement attempts to clear the building, even after concern was expressed about the safety of the Statements of Polls (SoPs).

On Monday, Thomas’ cellphone records for the period March 5-6, 2020 were presented to the CoI.

It showed a series of calls from senior police officers, including former Commissioner of Police Leslie James.

Attorney Sophia Chote S.C., of Trinidad and Tobago, who led the proceedings asked Thomas if he had received any calls from another official and he replied yes.

“On the 5th, I received a call from one Miss Van Sluytman…who was at the time the deputy PS…I think was Business (Ministry), requesting bail for her relative who was the suspect with the mischievous phone call, the bomb threat,” Thomas told the CoI.

Thomas said that he informed Van Sluytman that he could not help her since the matter was being dealt with directly by the “Top Cop.”

The Guyana Chronicle was made to understand that investigators had managed to trace the call and the suspect was arrested about an hour later. However, the investigation remains open and no charges were instituted.

During one of the CoI’s hearings, GECOM’s Chief of Security Ronald Stuart 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 the work of District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.

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.

Additionally, Deputy Superintendent Elston Baird had testified before the CoI that there was no evidence of an actual bomb planted in the building.

Baird, who is the Head of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), had said that based on the records, there was no evidence of a bomb at the command centre.

Last year, 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 was not answering his cellphone while on the ground.

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.

The CoI hearing will continue today.