The Prosecution in the Elections Fraud Case has fiercely objected to a proposal by the Defense Attorneys for the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh to form part of the witness pool to visit the Ashmin’s Building, which housed the GECOM Command Centre when the 2020 elections descended into chaos.

It was earlier proposed that three prosecution witnesses would form part of the witness pool to participate in the site visit.

However, while the Defense did not object to the three witnesses – Rosalinda Rasul, Sonia Parag and Allisha Mohamed – as proposed by the Prosecution, it has called for the GECOM Chair be added to the pool of witnesses to participate in the visit.

Defense Attorney, Eusi Anderson told the Court that except for the Chairperson, and the then IT Manager, all other GECOM officials who were integral to the process have been charged.

“I am asking for us to be guided by perhaps the most impartial witness at the scene, who would have been the chair of GECOM, subject to her availability and her time,” Anderson said.

He said no Observer or party agent can better describe and explain the layout of the Command Centre than the GECOM officials.

“The witnesses that the prosecution has thus far indicated that they will be relying on to tell you where what was at GECOM are Sonia Parag, a PPP agent; Bibi Mohamed, a PPP agent; one Rosalinda Rasul who is an independent observer…But if I may, the Prosecution is telling you that you have to listen to 66% PPP agent telling you where what was and they are not saying as officers of your court, we are bringing somebody who is independent or somebody who is at GECOM.  So, overwhelmingly, we are starting from a premise of 665 bias,” Anderson submitted.

Rising in objection, Prosecutor Latchmie Rahamat reminded the Court that it was the Prosecution’s case.

She said the Prosecution is entitled to say which of its witnesses it would like to be on the site visit, however, she admitted that the Court has the jurisdiction to give directives if it so believes that any other witness should be present.

Due to the lack of consensus on the witness pool to visit the Ashmin’s Building, the Acting Chief Magistrate, Faith McGusty, said in addition to sourcing photos of the building at the time of the election dispute, the Court will decide on the visit and the pool of witnesses.

Both sides have acknowledged that since 2020, the building has undergone repair works since GECOM no longer occupies it.

Minister of Local Government, Sonia Parag is the next witness expected to take the stand. The case will continue on the 20th May.

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