The trial concerning the March 2020 General and Regional Elections resumed on Tuesday with further testimony focused on the treatment of former Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo during his arrest and questioning.
Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty is overseeing the proceedings at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Testimony continued with Mingo still on the witness list, before shifting to evidence from Lance Corporal Sherwyn Benjamin of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters.
Benjamin testified that he had copied all relevant station diary entries related to Mingo’s case. Following this, Assistant Superintendent Komal Pitamber took the stand, detailing an interaction with Mingo on August 25, 2020. He explained that during the afternoon, officials conducted an interview with Mingo, informing him of the reasons for his arrest. Mingo’s attorney, Darren Wade, had arrived to visit him, but when Pitamber took Mingo downstairs to meet Wade, the attorney had already left. Wade subsequently returned, allowing Mingo to meet with him.
Pitamber noted that a video interview was conducted with Mingo later that evening. During this interview, Mingo was informed of the allegations against him and requested the presence of his attorney, which was documented in the station diary. He emphasized that Mingo was never denied access to legal counsel, nor was he told he would be released if he chose not to participate in the interview. Mingo did not voice any complaints regarding stress or adverse conditions at Sparendaam Police Station.
During cross-examination, attorney Nigel Hughes pointed out that approximately one hour after Wade arrived at the station, he was allowed to speak to Mingo.
The court also heard from Head of the Major Crimes Unit, Mitchell Caesar, who testified that he interviewed Mingo around 11 PM that night. Caesar asserted that he saw nothing inappropriate about conducting an interview at that hour and did not believe he needed to wait for a suspect to be “prepared” for questioning.
Nine individuals, including former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, former Deputy CEO Roxanne Myers, Mingo, and former government minister Volda Lawrence, are charged with conspiring to manipulate the Region Four results in favor of the APNU+AFC coalition, thus denying victory to the PPP.
The trial is scheduled to continue on Wednesday.
