The 2020 Election Fraud Trial continued this morning with American Chamber of Commerce-Guyana (AMCHAM) observer, Rosalinda Rasul admitting that critical evidence provided to the Counsel that presided over the Elections Commission of Inquiry (COI) back in 2022 was omitted from her statement that was subsequently provided to the Police.

Rasul took the witness box for a second time since the restart of the trial before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

 It was while being cross-examined by Defence Attorney, Nigel Hughes, that Rasul admitted that her statement to the Police was amended, thereby excluding evidence pertaining to the conduct of, and activities involving the agents of the then opposition, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

Outside the Courtroom, Mr. Hughes told reporters that the omissions have placed the defence at a disadvantage.

“There are several things she said she submitted to the counsel for the COI, bits and pieces of evidence, supposed recordings, notes in the computer, none of that have been disclosed to us. None, none, none. The first time we are hearing about it is today in her testimony, which means that there has been a failure to provide us with all of the relevant and pertinent information. All the previous statements, bits and pieces of evidence, not provided,” he said.

It was also while being grilled by Hughes that Rasul admitted that she did not hear the then Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, declare the results for District 4, nor did she hear him instruct any other Election Officer to declare the results on March 5, 2020.

“She said she never heard Mr. Mingo make a declaration. She was very clear after we persisted. She said she never heard Mr. Mingo make a declaration,” Hughes said.

Mingo is among the nine election officials and politicians accused of electoral fraud.

The Court also heard that during the early stages of the tabulation exercise at Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM’s) Region 4 Command Centre in the Ashmin’s Building, the Statements of Poll (SOPs) were left on a table by the tabulation officers unprotected for four hours in the presence of party agents.

“She says, and you know, that herself and all the other opposition representatives, other than the APNU+AFC along with the representatives of the ABCE countries were left alone in a room with the SOPs for four hours. We hear that for the first time today. We also hear from her that the Ambassadors of America, Britain, Canada and the European Union refused to abide by an instruction from a uniformed police officer that there was a bomb. That’s a pretty interesting development, because clearly, as she said, she felt entitled not to believe them. So, that speaks volumes,” the Defence Attorney said.

Hughes appeared in Court today alongside Attorney-at-Law Eusi Anderson.  Anderson was successful in his bid to have Rasul produce her CV despite objections from the State’s Prosecutor, Darshan Ramdhani.

During her testimony, Rasul stated that during the course of the 2020 General Elections, the election officials on the ground abandoned the use of Statements of Poll and opted for a spreadsheet.

She testified that she witnessed numbers being called out by GECOM staff that did not match the numbers on the corresponding documents that were in the possession of party agents, triggering loud protests. Ms. Rasul testified that many of the complaints were ignored and the GECOM staff conducting the process continued with their presentation of “incorrect” numbers.

The nine accused are former Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield; former Deputy Chief Election Officer, Roxanne Myers; and former Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, along with Opposition Member of Parliament, Volda Lawrence, People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) Member Carol Smith-Joseph, and Election Officers Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Bobb-Cummings and Michelle Miller.

The nine accused are facing 19 conspiracy charges relating to an alleged attempt to declare fraudulent results during the 2020 Elections. They have all declared their innocence, and have pleaded not guilty.

Related posts:

Fresh start for Election Fraud Trial; Defence to make submissions on type of trial to take place Acting Chief Magistrate to rule on December 30 on whether to restart Election Fraud trial from the beginning State Prosecutor raises concern over omission of “inadmissible” evidence in election fraud trial AMCHAM Observer presents video/audio evidence of chaos at GECOM Command Centre during vote tabulation