AG disappointed 2020 fraud cases not concluded
Several dates have been scheduled to ensure the timely hearing of ongoing 2020 election fraud cases brought against members of the former A Partnership for National Unity plus Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, as well as staffers of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Attorney General Anil Nandlall described the process as slow, citing various challenges, including defense attempts to seek High Court interventions that have delayed the hearings.
He explained that several hearing slots from September through November have been fixed to advance the case. Hearings are set for September 15–19 and 22–26; October 21–24 and 27–31; and November 17–21 and 24–28.
“So, these are slots that have been identified and fixed exclusively for the hearing of these charges, and upon the completion of these hearing dates, I think the case would have advanced tremendously,” Nandlall said.
The Attorney General expressed disappointment that the country is heading into another election while the cases of those charged with attempting to defraud the 2020 polls remain unresolved.
Senior Magistrate Leron Daly is overseeing at least 28 criminal charges related to the election fraud cases. The charges were brought against People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) activist Carol Smith-Joseph; former Health Minister under the APNU+AFC government Volda Lawrence; former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield; former Deputy CEO Roxanne Myers; former District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo; and GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Babb-Cummings, and Michelle Miller.
The offences include misconduct in public office, uttering forged documents, and plotting to deceive Guyanese electors by declaring false vote counts.
