Gov’t to seek update on electoral fraud cases – Attorney General
– Report to be made public
– Says government will not allow charges to ‘fall away’
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC has taken note of concerns raised by citizens about the slow pace at which the electoral fraud cases are being processed.
To this end, government will be writing to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to seek an update on the matters, which have been before the courts since late 2020 and early 2021.
“Government will request from the DPP soon, a status update on these charges, where they are and why they have not been prosecuted and progressed with the alacrity and seriousness with which they should,” the Attorney General revealed during his weekly programme ‘Issues in the news’.
Some 32 electoral fraud cases have been filed in the Magistrates Court against several former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) officials and political activists who are accused of being involved in the attempt to manipulate the results of the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections.
These include former Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, former Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxane Myers, Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, APNU+AFC activist Carol Smith-Joseph among others.
Once the government has received the report from the DPP, the information would be made public, the Attorney General relayed.
“You are entitled to that information, and it will come from the DPP because the DPP is responsible for the prosecution of these offences, the AG expressed.
He reminded that the charges are being instituted by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) upon the advice of the DPP and government is insulated from the process.
“But it doesn’t mean that the government will sit idly by and allow these charges to just fall away. We are equally as an important stakeholder in this society, as you are members of the public, you are equally interested in the outcome of these charges,” he stated.
Similar concerns were raised by the Attorney General in August 2022, however, the cases are still not being processed in the manner in which they should.