After two weeks of hearings, the trial concerning the March 2020 General and Regional Elections was adjourned on Friday, with a schedule of dates fixed to carry proceedings through June 2026.
The matter is before acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and is being managed under structured case-management guidelines. Friday’s sitting continued void dires (preliminary examinations of evidence admissibility) for defendants Sherfane February and Denise Babb Cummings. Several police witnesses gave evidence during the voir dires, and the court heard that two further witnesses remain to testify in February’s void dire.
Prosecution and defence counsel agreed on the next dates for the trial. The next proceeding is set for March 27, 2026, followed by hearings on March 31 — dates specifically reserved for completing the outstanding void dires. Additional dates fixed by the court are:
April 20; April 24–27
May 18; May 20–22
June 15–19; June 22–26
Before adjournment, defence attorney Eusi Anderson informed the court that accused Enrique Livan is presently suffering from pneumonia affecting both lungs and requested that Livan be permitted to join proceedings remotely until his recovery. The court granted that request.
Testimony this week included that of former Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn, who was called on Thursday. Benn’s evidence focused on the tabulation process for Region Four at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Command Centre at Ashmin’s Building. He told the court that while voting on March 2, 2020 proceeded without incident, tabulation was halted the following day after then-Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo reported staff fatigue. When tabulation resumed, Benn said the figures entered did not match the Statements of Poll (SOPs), prompting objections from opposition agents.
Benn recounted events on March 4 and 5, including Mingo’s reported illness, discrepancies in tabulated figures, GECOM staff working with spreadsheets in a separate room, the establishment of an alternative tabulation process, and an episode in which Mingo attempted to declare Region Four results from a balcony — an action that attracted objections and police intervention. Benn said that by March 13, 2020, following court action, Mingo was required to properly tabulate and present the results. Benn had been scheduled to return on Friday afternoon to continue his testimony but did not appear; no reason was provided.
Nine people currently stand charged in the case. They face allegations of conspiring to manipulate the March 2020 election results in favour of APNU+AFC to deny victory to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). Among the accused are former government minister Volda Lawrence, former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, former Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, and former Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers.
The controversy surrounding the March 2020 elections delayed the declaration of official results for five months, until PPP candidate Irfaan Ali was sworn in as President on August 2, 2020.
