The trial addressing irregularities during the March 2020 General and Regional Elections resumed on Monday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court after a break of over two months since the last hearing in December 2025.
Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty is overseeing the proceedings, which are being managed under case-management guidelines to ensure efficiency and preparedness from all parties involved. Several witnesses have already presented new evidence and undergone cross-examination.
On Monday, Sasenarine Singh, a agent for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) during the elections, returned to the witness stand, having last testified in mid-November 2025. Singh recounted the events of March 4, 2020, when former Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers entered the tabulation room and announced that former Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo had fallen ill.
“I observed medical personnel taking Mr. Mingo out on a stretcher towards an ambulance,” Singh stated, noting that he remained in the room and could not verify whether Mingo was placed into the vehicle. He described the scene as filled with international observers, local representatives, and Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) staff, referring to it as a “waiting game.”
Singh testified that Myers later returned to inform attendees that Mingo had been hospitalized. When Mingo returned the next day, he expressed a desire to restart the tabulation process.
“He said, in the interest of time, he wanted to accelerate the process and would allow his staff to extract data from the SOPs in their possession,” Singh recalled. However, he noted significant objections from those present, stating, “There were severe objections. A lot of voices saying no.”
Singh described a shift in the process, mentioning a heavily pregnant GECOM officer among the staff. GECOM Chairman, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh, urged empathy for the workers involved and suggested a pause to source additional personnel.
Following assurances that a shift system would be implemented to process the remaining 879 Statements of Poll (SOPs), Singh indicated that the process was temporarily halted.
The trial involves nine individuals charged with conspiring to manipulate election results in favor of the APNU+AFC coalition, thereby attempting to deny victory to the PPP. Those charged include former government minister Volda Lawrence, former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, Clairmont Mingo, and Roxanne Myers, among others.
Due to the controversy surrounding the March 2020 elections, the official results were delayed for five months, culminating in the swearing-in of PPP candidate Irfaan Ali as President on August 2, 2020. The trial will continue throughout this week.
