THE ongoing elections fraud trial was adjourned on Monday after the defence objected to key testimony being delivered virtually, insisting that former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Information Technology Manager, Aneal Giddings, appear in court to testify in person.
When the matter was called before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, Giddings, who served as GECOM’s IT Head during the 2020 General and Regional Elections period, had been scheduled to testify for the prosecution.
However, he was expected to give evidence virtually as he was reportedly out of the jurisdiction.
Counsel for the defence, Nigel Hughes, raised objections to the arrangement, noting that Giddings’ evidence forms a critical aspect of the case and that his appearance in person was necessary.
Hughes told the court that, given the witness’ significance, he should be physically present to provide testimony and also be available for cross-examination in person.
Following deliberations on the issue, efforts were made to call other witnesses to take Giddings’ place. However, as no alternative witnesses were immediately available, the proceedings were adjourned until Wednesday, when additional witnesses are expected to be called.
The trial centres on allegations of fraud in relation to the tabulation and declaration of results from the 2020 General and Regional Elections, a process that triggered months of political uncertainty before a final declaration was eventually made five months after polling day.
Among those on trial are former Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield, former Deputy Chief Election Officer Roxanne Myers, former Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, former Health Minister Volda Lawrence and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member Carol Smith-Joseph.
Also facing charges are former GECOM employees Michelle Miller, Sheffern February, Enrique Livan and Denise Babb-Cummings.
The nine defendants collectively face 19 charges, including conspiracy to defraud and misconduct in public office. They have all pleaded not guilty and are currently on bail.
The prosecution, led by King’s Counsel Darshan Ramdhani, alleges that the accused participated in efforts to inflate votes in favour of the then A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, while reducing votes cast for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
Following a national recount supervised by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and months of legal challenges, the PPP/C was ultimately declared the winner of the elections with 233,336 votes compared to APNU+AFC’s 217,920 votes. President, Dr. Irfaan Ali was sworn into office on August 2, 2020.
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the elections later concluded that there had been collusion among senior GECOM officials aimed at diverting votes to APNU+AFC rather than safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.
