Five years after controversy erupted at the Ashmin’s Building during the tabulation of the Region 4 votes leading to claims of fraud, key witnesses in the criminal case returned to the location to retrace their steps as the trial into allegations of electoral fraud continued today.

The Ashmins Building, located at the corners of Hadfield and High Streets, served as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Command Centre during the 2020 Elections.

In the presence of Acting Chief Magistrate, Faith McGusty, four key witnesses – People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP) polling agent, Minister Sonia Parag; A New and United Guyana (ANUG) polling agent, Kian Jabour; American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Guyana observer, Rosalinda Rasul; and former Police Division 4 ‘A’ Commander, Edgar Thomas – identified key locations within the building where objections were sounded, and chaos unfolded between the March 3 and March 13, 2020.

Parag, Jabour, Rasul and Thomas today pointed the State Prosecutor, Latchmie Rahamat to a section of the bottom flat of the building where a room had been erected to facilitate the tabulation of the Statements of Poll.

The room no longer exists, but Parag said it was in that section of the building that the then Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo had signaled his intention to declare the results of the elections on March 5, 2020 before marching to the second floor, where an attempt was allegedly made to prematurely declare the results for District 4.

Mingo, who along with 8 others, has been charged with electoral fraud, watched on quietly as Parag retraced her steps. He, like the other defendants, has denied the allegations of electoral fraud.

Earlier in the trial, Parag told the Court that on March 4, 2020, the Election Officers in the Tabulation Centre had abandoned the SOPs and resorted to the use of a “spread sheet” to tabulate the votes cast in the district.

Jabour, who featured prominently during the 2020 Elections, led the acting Chief Magistrate, the Prosecution and the Defense Attorneys to a room on the third floor, where the Chairman of the Elections Commission, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh had been locked inside.

On the stand, he told the Court that the office door for the Elections Chairman was “kicked down” during the chaos that unfolded at the Command Centre. A number of persons had swarmed the third floor of the Ashmins Building on March 5, 2020 and demanded entry into the GECOM Chairman’s Office.

He said amid rising tension and demands for the door to be opened, “entrance was achieved.” The door was kicked opened.

Thomas and Rasul also recounted other events during the March 2020 debacle.

The four witnesses are expected to be further cross-examined at a later date by the Defence.

At the conclusion of today’s visit to the Ashmins Building, the case was adjourned to September 15, when the attorneys on both sides are expected to make submissions on an application by the Prosecution for another witness, Josh Kanhai, to give further statements.

On the September 15, the Court will determine whether it will proceed with additional testimonies for the month of September or have those testimonies deferred.

Related posts:

ANUG’s Kian Jabour testifies of breaching barriers and kicking down of GECOM Chairman’s door during Election chaos Gunraj admits to not having pass for Chief Election Officer’s floor at GECOM Command Centre AMCHAM Observer presents video/audio evidence of chaos at GECOM Command Centre during vote tabulation Elections Commission of Inquiry visits GECOM Ashmins Command Centre