The high-profile trial into the March 2020 General and Regional Elections is set to resume later in May, with more than 10 witnesses still to give evidence before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Prosecutor Latchmie Rahamat last Friday confirmed that the prosecution has a significant number of witnesses yet to present their testimony.
“So we cannot estimate how long it will take but I do know that we have more than 10 witnesses remaining. The court will invite the prosecution to tell them how many witness remaining and that will be on the record officially,” Rahamat told reporters.
She explained that the pace of the trial remains uncertain due to the nature of courtroom proceedings, particularly the variability in cross-examinations by defence counsel.
“A trial is very fluid for many reasons…sometimes there is lengthy cross-examination and then there is none,” she said.
Despite the uncertainties, Rahamat noted that the prosecution has consistently ensured that witnesses are available for each hearing and expressed hope of concluding their testimonies soon.
“We have witnesses available and we have been having witnesses available on every occasion,” she added, noting that it is the prosecution’s intention to complete the remaining testimonies “in the shortest space of time.”
Several witnesses have already testified, including Sonia Parag, Frank Anthony, Sasenarine Singh, Bibi Aneishaw Mohamed, Edgar Thomas, Rosalina Rasul, Kian Jabour, and Robeson Benn. The court has also conducted a number of voir dires (legal arguments on the admissibility of evidence) during the proceedings.
The last hearing was held on April 30, with the trial scheduled to resume on May 18 and continue from May 20 to 22. Additional dates have been set for June 15 to 19 and June 22 to 26, indicating an extended schedule for the prosecution’s case.
Nine individuals are currently before the court charged with conspiring to manipulate the election results in favour of APNU+AFC, allegedly in an attempt to deny victory to the PPP.
Those charged include 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, among others.
The controversy surrounding the March 2020 elections delayed the declaration of results for five months, until PPP candidate Irfaan Ali was sworn in as President on August 2, 2020. The protracted legal proceedings represent the government’s efforts to hold accountable those accused of attempting to manipulate the electoral process.
