AS the Election Fraud Trial continued on Wednesday, video recordings of former Chief Elections Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member Carol Smith-Joseph being interviewed by the police were presented in court.
This was shown before Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, as the prosecution brought expert witnesses to present the footage recorded by ranks of the Guyana Police Force.
One of the videos presented was continued evidence from Smith-Joseph in the presence of her attorney, Nigel Hughes in October 2020, following an earlier interview that was conducted in September 2020.

During this interview, officers questioned her about a document which was purported to be a declaration made by Clairmont Mingo on March 13, 2020, at GECOM’s Kingston headquarters, to which she exercised her right to remain silent after being shown the document.
During another interview on a later date in 2020, Smith-Joseph was questioned about a declaration form and a signature affixed to the bottom, to which she chose not to answer.
While questioning continued from officers, Smith-Joseph further exercised her right to remain silent.
Meanwhile, in the video recording of an interview with the former CEO Lowenfield, he was the holder of a Guyanese passport, to which he declined to answer.
He was subsequently told by officers that, as part of their investigation, they had secured his application form for a passport, and again, he did not answer.
Lowenfield, however, asked to make a statement for the record, during which he noted that he believed the process was ‘ultra vires’ and unlawful and further quoted Article 163(1)(b)(i) of the constitution, which he said gives the high court exclusive jurisdiction to determine whether an election has been lawfully conducted, among other things.
The case is expected to continue today, with other witnesses set to take the stand.

Charged with electoral fraud are People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member Carol Smith-Joseph and former Health Minister under the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government, Volda Lawrence.
Also facing charges are Lowenfield, former Deputy CEO Roxanne Myers, and Mingo.
Former GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Babb-Cummings, and Michelle Miller are also charged; collectively, they face 19 conspiracy charges.
The matters have been consolidated. Each defendant has pleaded not guilty to the charges and secured their release by posting significant cash bail.
It is the prosecution’s case that each defendant had a “critical role” to play in the willful endeavour to inflate votes for the APNU+AFC, and deflate votes for the PPP/C.
In the weeks that followed the March 2, 2020, vote, Guyana’s judiciary was inundated with multiple applications and appeals filed by various political actors over the electoral process.
The saga lasted five months before a national recount, led by GECOM and a delegation from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), confirmed the PPP/C’s victory and ultimately led to the swearing-in of President, Dr. Irfaan Ali on August 2, 2020.
The initial election results, announced by former CEO Lowenfield, claimed an APNU+AFC victory.