Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty today ordered a restart in the elections fraud trial and instructed that all submissions be filed by January 6, 2025.
In addition, at the hearing at the Georgetown Magistrateโs Court, McGusty also requested defence attorney, Nigel Hughes to file written submissions on the mode of trial to which he indicated that he prefers, which is indictable.
On the other hand, Special Prosecutor, Kingโs Counsel Darshan Ramdhani has called for a summary trial in these proceedings and would have addressed this at length.
Nevertheless, the acting Chief Magistrate will rule on the mode of trial on January 13, 2025.
When the matter was called on December 8 last, Ramdhani had argued that a restart was completely unnecessary and that all the court needed to do was to recall the witnesses. On the other hand, Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes pressed for a fresh start to the already delayed trial.
Nine persons are before the court about electoral fraud. They are former Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo; former Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield; his former Deputy, Roxanne Myers; former Peopleโs National Congress/ Reform (PNCR) Chairperson Volda Lawrence; PNCR activist Carol Smith-Joseph; and Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Michelle Miller and Denise Babb-Cummings.
They are facing 28 charges relating to electoral fraud. Among the offences these defendants are accused of committing are: misconduct while holding public office; presenting falsified documentation; and planning to manipulate Guyanaโs voters by presenting an inaccurate vote total.
