A tragedy that 2020 election fraud charges yet to see the light of a trial – Nandlall

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall has registered his concerns that the 2020 election fraud charges are yet to see the “light of a trial”, more than four years after they were laid.

“It is a tragedy that we are entering a year of another election, five years after the 2020 elections, and these fraud charges which arose from those elections, have not seen the light of a trial as yet,” he expressed on Tuesday during his programme “Issues in the News”.

On December 31, Chief Magistrate (acting) Faith McGusty had ordered a restart of the fraud trial. She has to now determine the mode for the trial. The defence wants the matters to proceed as indictable while the prosecution has called for a summary trial in these proceedings.

The Chief Magistrate will make a ruling on the mode of the trial on January 13, following submissions by both sides.

“That state of affairs, in my humble and respectful opinion, is an indictment on our criminal justice system and it continues to be of concern to a wide cross section of Guyanese both in Guyana and overseas,” Nandlall said.

The Chief Magistrate had taken over the election fraud cases in November 2024, after the previous magistrate, Leron Daly, had proceeded on prolonged sick leave.

The trial had initially commenced on July 29 before Magistrate Daly, and was set to run from then to September 13. Only two witnesses – Sonia Parag and Rosalinda Rasul – had testified before the magistrate proceeded on sick leave.

The Attorney General has revealed that Magistrate Daly is currently back on the job and is hearing other cases.

“…and there is no explanation as to why that magistrate is no longer hearing these [election fraud cases]…I don’t think that a judge or a magistrate can decide not to hear a case without advancing a reason. This magistrate, apparently did so,” Nandlall expressed, adding that he is not attacking the judiciary.

Nandlall also expressed his opinion that, “the defence team is deliberately delaying the hearing and determination of these charges.”

Facing charges are former Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo; former Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield; his former Deputy, Roxanne Myers; former People’s National Congress/ Reform (PNCR) Chairperson Volda Lawrence; PNCR activist Carol Smith-Joseph; and GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Michelle Miller and Denise Babb-Cummings.