Witnesses, defendants visit key site in 2020 election fiasco, as fraud case continues

During a court-ordered site visit to the Ashmins Building on Wednesday, key witnesses in the 2020 election fraud case noted differences between the current structure and what they recalled from the contentious March 2020 vote tabulation process.

The visit, which was observed by members of the media but not recorded, as per court order, was part of an ongoing effort to provide spatial context to testimony already presented in court.

Led by Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, the walkthrough included legal teams from both sides, the accused, and four witnesses who have already taken the stand: Minister of Local Government Sonia Parag, ANUG executive Kian Jabour, Assistant Police Commissioner Edgar Thomas, and election observer Rosalinda Rasul.

As they moved through the building, measurements were taken and recorded as prosecutor Latchmie Rahamat asked questions. During that time, witnesses made passing comments about how the space appeared altered.

Remarks such as “this looks different” and “there used to be a glass door here” were overheard as they tried to recall where key figures, including former Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, were positioned at the time of the controversy.

During the visit, defence attorney Dexter Todd questioned the absence of any visual documentation, such as photos of the Ashmins Building in its original 2020 layout, highlighting the potential challenge of relying solely on memory, especially when the layout appears to have changed.

The Ashmins Building has reportedly undergone renovation and reconfiguration since it last served as the Region Four Command Centre for GECOM.

While the scope and timeline of the changes have not been detailed in court, those present noted that some walls, doors, and room dividers seemed different from what was described in earlier testimony.

One witness, Kian Jabour, appeared uncertain when asked to identify Mingo’s position in the room, admitting that the time gap and altered layout made it difficult to pinpoint exact locations with confidence.

“I can’t remember, it has been four or five years,” he said, pointing to a spot he believed Mingo may have been when he allegedly attempted to make a declaration of the Region Four electoral results.

Although members of the press were allowed to observe the exercise from inside, they were barred from recording any part of the proceedings inside the building. The restriction was imposed by Magistrate McGusty to preserve the integrity of the visit and avoid any breach of confidentiality or misrepresentation of interactions.

The visit forms part of the court’s effort to assess spatial claims made in a case that has gripped national attention. Nine individuals, including Mingo, former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, and Deputy CEO Roxanne Myers, are facing 19 charges of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Prosecutors allege that the accused bypassed official Statements of Poll in Region Four and used unauthorized spreadsheets to declare falsified results in favour of the APNU+AFC coalition. All defendants have pleaded not guilty and are currently out on bail.

The walkthrough was intended to support the credibility and coherence of earlier testimony. However, with changes to the building now acknowledged and the absence of reference images from 2020, questions have emerged about how reliably witnesses can recall and demonstrate spatial details from five years ago.

Nevertheless, the matter has been adjourned to September 15, when both the defence and prosecution are expected to make submissions. On that date, the court is expected to determine whether soon after the trial into the 2020 elections case will proceed.