Chief Justice Roxane George today granted a request by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Police Commissioner to get access to the Statements of Poll and Statements of Recount for the last elections.

The request for the documents was made as the Police and the DPP continue to build a case against a number of Elections Officials and others who have been charged with electoral fraud.

The documents have been in the possession of the Court for several weeks and the Court will now facilitate copies being handed over to the Police and DPP.

Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield, who is also facing charges, made an attempt to join the Court matter through his Attorney but that was dismissed by the Chief Justice.

Mr. Lowenfield was contending that the documents ought to be only released as part of an election petition case and not a criminal matter.

The Chief Justice did not find favour with that argument.

In her ruling, the Chief Justice said the Chief Election Officer has not shown how that the release of the documents will affect him while pointing out that the documents are not Mr. Lowenfield’s personal documents but belongs to the Elections Commission.

She said the Chief Election Officer cannot be a party to block the request for the release of the documents.

“Although the legal custodian of the documents, the CEO does not have an interest such as to object to the court granting permission for such a release,” The Chief Justice said in handing down her decision.

The Chief Justice also pointed out that if there was reluctance on the part of the CEO to release the documents had it been in his possession, the Police could have secured a search warrant to get the documents from him.

The Registrar of the Supreme Court has 10 days to photocopy and certify the SoPs and SoRs and turn them over to the DPP and police Commissioner.

Currently, the Chief Elections Officer, the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Meyers and the Returning Officer (RO) for District Four, Clairmont Mingo, are facing charges related to Misconduct in Public Office related to allegations of fraud at the last elections.

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