The Georgetown Magistrates’ Court conducted a site visit to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) High Street Office today as the trial into the controversial 2020 Elections continues.

It was at GECOM’s High Street Office where the second of two declarations for District 4 was reportedly made by the then Region 4 Returning Officer (RO), Clairmont Mingo on March 13, 2020.

During today’s proceedings presided over by Chief Magistrate (ag) Faith McGusty, three witnesses – Minister of Education, Sonia Parag; former American Chamber of Commerce of Guyana (AmCham) Election Observer, Rosalinda Rasul; and A New and United Guyana (ANUG) former Executive Member, Jonathan Yearwood – provided the Court with a layout of the tabulation centre, which had been relocated to GECOM from the Ashmin’s Building.

But even as the proceedings got underway, Defence Attorney Dexter Todd, who was accompanied by Attorney-at-Law Ronald Daniels, sought permission to cross-examine the witnesses on site, explaining that the evidence provided in the case of Minister Parag, did not include information on the layout of the tabulation centre.

He submitted that the witness at the time was providing fresh evidence to the Court as he raised objection.

He told reporters that the Prosecution has led the witnesses down a guessing game.

“This is what happens when you do not investigate a matter properly. If the police were careful in their investigations one of the first things they ought to have done after taking the statements from the perspective witnesses is to visit the scene, and allow the witness to point out various locations in an attempt to reconstruct the scene so you can have proper measurements. Now, over six years pass, you have a situation where the witnesses are revisiting the scene and they are trying to rely on memory to reconstruct the scene…The point I am making here is that all these years after if you attempt to give the witnesses an opportunity to come and just to guess. I am guessing this was here, I am guessing that was there, it is very much unfair,” Dr Todd said.

The Defense Attorney was not allowed to cross-examine the witnesses on site. The Acting Chief Magistrate explained that the cross-examinations would be conducted in the courtroom, where the court would have the benefit of using a recording system.

Assessing the evidence provided today, the Defence Attorney said there were multiple variations – emphasizing that the witnesses were returning to the area where the tabulation was done more than six-years after the 2020 Elections.

“Witnesses Rasul and Mr. Yearwood are closest in their reconstruction of where the projector was and where the screen was. Minister Parag is totally off, totally off and that is because these things did not form part of their statements. They never gave measures, they never gave layouts as to where they were, where various items were as they were placed under the shed. So, obviously it was an opportunity for them to just make up something and just try to create a picture in their heads, and that is why I believe you have that level of inconsistency,” Dr. Todd said.

State Prosecutor Latchmie Rahamat, who had led the witness during the exercise, said it was important to have the witnesses return to the site of the tabulation centre to assist the Court in arriving at its decision.

“Now, the importance of site visits are that when you have witnesses, and in a matter like this where you have so many eye witnesses, who were present in the tabulation room both at Ashmin’s Building and here at GECOM High Street location, every person will tell you their perspective as to what happen, and the Magistrate has to put the evidence together as the judge of the facts at the end of the matter. It was obviously to help the court in putting the evidence together, and determining the matter at the end…because as you know, Mr Yearwood’s evidence on the previous occasion, he testified and spoke about being able to see the screen but the projection was moving so quickly. And so, him pointing out where he was and where the screen was, the court would be able to have an idea, having stand where he is standing” the State Prosecutor explained.

Rahamat pushed back against criticism from Todd, telling reporters that the evidence had been provided to the court.

“Technically speaking a witnesses’ evidence is the sworn evidence that is given in the witness box in the court, and every single witness that came today, that is Minister Parag, Ms Rasul and Mr Yearwood gave evidence under oath, in the courtroom, in relation to this location, and what they observed when they were here. And so, that is the evidence on the record,” she explained.

During the proceedings, Yearwood recalled his encounter with A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Agent, Carol Smith Joseph.

Joseph and Mingo are among the nine accused, and were present today along with the other co-accused.

The court case continues on May 18, 2026.

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