Elections CoI…

FOUR witnesses including former Police Division 4 ‘A’ Commander, Edgar Thomas were, on Wednesday, cross-examined by former Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers’ lawyer, Nigel Hughes, about their testimony in the ongoing Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into events surrounding the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

While she had opted not to testify in the CoI, Hughes was granted permission to cross-examine witnesses who had testified about the actions of Myers and others during the vote count.

Thomas had previously testified that on March 5, 2020, ranks and officers from at least three sections of the Guyana Police Force converged at the Ashmin’s building in the midst of a bomb scare, to clear the building even after concerns were expressed about the safety of the Statements of Poll (SoPs).

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 Myers to get everyone out of the tabulation room because they were interfering with Mingo’s work.

On Wednesday, when Thomas took to the witness stand under oath, he was grilled by Hughes on a series of questions related to March 5, 2020.

Specifically, the attorney asked Thomas if he was “implying” that Myers had “ulterior motives” when she asked him to clear the Ashmin’s building.

However, Thomas said he is “unable” to answer the question. He was also backed by CoI’s Chairman, Stanley John and commissioners — former Chancellor, Carl Singh and Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith, who warned Hughes to be careful with his line of questioning.

“Mr. Hughes … we’re giving you the specific underpinnings of allowing you to cross-examine identified persons. Notwithstanding the fact that your client has a right and decided to remain silent, was to deal with anything imploratory of your client that was mentioned by the witness.

“I don’t believe that it was our intention that you can set yourself at large on the totality of events, disregarding the fact that a lot of what you’re questioning is not imploratory of your client,” Commissioner Singh said.

However, Hughes told the Commissioners that it was his understanding that the scope of the CoI was to determine what actually happened during the elections and report accurately on what transpired.

“I don’t think that is fair for the witness… You’re asking him to draw an inference or make an implication, which at the end of the day, the Commission can make from the evidence, which has given… It is not for him to say he (Thomas) may have suspicions.

“With all due respect, as counsel to this commission, I have to ensure as a duty to you (CoI) to ensure that the material presented to you is material and is reliable. And that doesn’t include opinions or answers which may be informed by suspicions and that kind of thing, which is what I think that question opens the door too. So, I respectfully ask you to reconsider whether such a question should be posed to this witness at all,” Senior Counsel Sophia Chote, of Trinidad and Tobago said in reply.

After deliberating, the tribunal decided not to allow such questions to be put to the witness under cross-examination.

GECOM IT Manager, Aneal Giddings; Rosalinda Rasul, who served as an elections observer for the American Chamber of Commerce Guyana (AmCham) and Assistant Registration Officer of GECOM, Alexandra Sophia Bowman were also cross-examined by Hughes during the hearing.

The hearing will continue today February 9, with GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj being cross-examined by Hughes.

Thus far, former Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence; APNU+AFC activist Carol Smith-Joseph; APNU+AFC-appointed commissioner on the Local Government Commission (LGC), Nicola Denise Trotman; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings; former Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield; former GECOM District Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; and GECOM staff members Sheffern February, Denise Babb-Cummings, Carolyn Duncan, Enrique Livan and Michelle Miller, along with Senior Superintendent, Phillip Azore have all opted to remain silent and not testify.

The CoI was provided with details of how some GECOM employees participated in the suspected plot to divert votes to the APNU +AFC instead of safeguarding the electoral system.

Witnesses have testified about the actions of Lowenfield, Myers, Mingo and Livan during the vote count. Some of the GECOM employees are before the court on electoral fraud charges.