Court to rule on December 30 on whether to restart or resume election fraud trial

On Monday, parties in the election fraud trial into the 2020 General and Regional elections, attended a hearing of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty.

During the proceedings, they were informed that the Chief Magistrate will rule on whether or not to resume the election fraud trial and just recall witnesses, or to start it over completely.

This decision in the four-year long case became necessary after the initial magistrate, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, fell ill in August and was subsequently unable to resume her duties.

Special Prosecutor, Darshan Ramdhani argued that a restart was completely unnecessary and that all the court needed to do was to recall the witnesses.

So far, two witnesses, Local Government Minister Sonia Parag and Diaspora Unit Head Rosalinda Rasul, have been heard by the court.

On the other hand, Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes pressed for a fresh start to the already delayed trial.

Ultimately, Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty who took over the case from Daly last month, decided that she would hand down her ruling on whether to resume or restart, on December 30.

Nine persons are before the court this case. They include former Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield and his former Deputy, Roxanne Myers.

Also charged are former PNCR Chairperson Volda Lawrence; PNCR activist Carol Smith-Joseph; and GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Michelle Miller and Denise Babb-Cummings.