Retired Commissioner of Police, Leslie James took the stand today as the Elections Commission of Inquiry restarted after the Christmas season break.

James was the Police Commissioner at the time of the 2020 elections and the controversy that erupted in the GECOM Command Centre at the Ashmins building.

James testified today that the situation at the GECOM Command Centre became chaotic and turned into mayhem on the 5th March 2020 during the vote tabulation, forcing the Guyana Police Force to send in additional security support.

During his testimony, the former Police Commissioner disputed testimony that was provided earlier in the inquiry hearing by Assistant Commissioner Edgar Thomas that he was stripped of his responsibility for the Regional Division owing to his efforts to safeguard the Region 4 statements of poll.

Mr. James testified today that instead, Thomas was relieved of his Command as he became unreachable by phone and radio.

“As far as I remembered I used both of my telephones and I tried making contact with him; the number that I expected him to answer. In fact, I was communicating with him all along prior to that day,” Mr James testified.

He said with calls to the Assistant Commissioner going unanswered, he appointed Thomas’ Deputy, Superintendent Phillip Azore to act as the Regional Commander.

According to Mr James, it was after Mr Thomas was informed later that day that he must stand down from the post, that he attempted to make contact.

Maintaining that he never spoke to Mr Thomas on March 5, 2020, the former Police Commissioner explained that after viewing live footage from the Command Centre, which was housed in the Ashmins Building, he instructed that the Tactical Services Unit report to the Commander at the Ashmins Building.

He said at no time did he instruct the Unit to clear the building but rather to have it secured. “After viewing a footage and in addition I tried making contact with the commander because what I was seeing was clearly disorder and I can also refer to it as mayhem, which was contrary to what was expected to be happening at that GECOM location,” the former Police Commissioner said.

His response drew concern from retired Chief Justice Carl Singh who questioned him about why he did not take action after realising that his instructions were not being followed.

The former Top Cop was also quizzed about the security of GECOM personnel including the GECOM Chairman and what steps he took to ensure their safety. He said there were systems in place to ensure the safety of the GECOM Command Centre.

It was put to him by one of the Commissioners that the system appeared to have broken down.

Related posts:

Asst. Commissioner returns to Elections COI to dispute testimony of former Top Cop Retired Deputy Commissioner disputes several statements provided by Asst. Commissioner Thomas to Elections COI Elections COI: GECOM’s Chief Security Agent testifies that he refused to empty Ashmins Building during bomb threat because he knew it was fake Asst. Police Commissioner Thomas tells Elections COI that he was reassigned over effort to protect Region 4 SOPs