Prosecution fails to file statement in Lawrence, Mingo election cases

Jan 15, 2021 News

Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo.

Kaieteur News – The prosecution yesterday failed to file the statements of the witnesses that are expected to testify against Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo and the Chairperson for the People’s National Congress, Volda Lawrence, in the election fraud cases.
The duo yesterday made another court appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates Court before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan. They are being represented by attorneys-at-law, Nigel Hughes and Darren Wade, while the matter is being prosecuted by a team of special prosecutors, attorneys-at-law, Glenn Hanoman, George Thomas, Mark Conway, and Ganesh Hira.
Yesterday the prosecution was expected to file statements of the witnesses that are expected to testify against Lawrence and Mingo, but failed to file the statements and the matter was adjourned to January 28, 2021.

The Chairperson for the People’s National Congress, Volda Lawrence.

On September 11, Mingo and Lawrence made their first appearance. They were not required to plead to the charge of conspiracy to commit fraud.
The charge stated that Mingo, having been procured by Lawrence on or about March 5, 2020, at the Command Centre for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on High and Hadfield Streets, uttered to the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, the election results for Region Four, knowing it to be forged, with intent to defraud the people of Guyana.
Mingo and Lawrence were released on self-bail for that charge.
The duo is also facing a joint charge before another Magistrate in the Georgetown Magistrates Court. That charge alleged that Mingo and Lawrence on March 5, 2020 in Georgetown, with intent to defraud the public, they uttered a certain forged document, that is to say, a report purporting to be a true declaration of all votes cast in District Four for the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, knowing said report to be forged.
Mingo was slapped with four individual charges on August 31, 2020, alleging that he misconducted himself in public office by failing to disclose the number of votes that were counted during the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. He was placed on $600,000 bail for those charges.
Additionally, he was also slapped with a joint charge with A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) activist, Carol Joseph-Smith. That charge alleged that on March 13, 2020, they uttered a forged document purporting to be a true report of all votes cast in the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, while knowing that the report was forged.
Mingo was placed on $60,000 bail for the two joint charges and Lawrence was placed on $30,000 bail for the joint charge she faces. Those matters are also expected to be called on January 28, 2021.
Police had announced last August that they will be conducting a comprehensive investigation into the criminal conduct of Lowenfield; the Returning Officer of Region Four, Mingo; and others in relation to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and the events that followed.
During the ongoing probe, several GECOM officials were arrested and put before the court for electoral fraud charges.