The high-profile 2020 election fraud trial was briefly interrupted on Monday after prosecution witness Bibi Anieshaw Mohamed told the court that she was threatened by someone seated in the courtroom while giving evidence before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Mohamed, who is the Director of the Guyana Learning Channel, made the allegation while under intense cross-examination by defence counsel Nigel Hughes during the morning session. She claimed that Carol Smith-Joseph, who was seated at the back of the courtroom, threatened to slap her.
Hughes immediately disputed the claim, telling the court that he did not hear anyone making such a statement.
Magistrate McGusty noted that from her position at the Magistrate’s Bench, her view of Smith-Joseph was partially obstructed by the prisoners’ dock, and while she could see in that direction, she did not hear any such remark.
The Magistrate then asked Mohamed how the alleged threat was communicated. The witness explained that she was looking in Smith-Joseph’s direction when the threat was made.
She was subsequently instructed to focus on individuals directly involved in the proceedings and to disregard persons outside that scope so that the matter could continue.
Maintaining his position, Hughes requested a break, stating that he had never experienced a situation where a witness alleged a threat in open court that was not heard by anyone else, including the court. He described the claim as fabrication and suggested it could be used to generate misleading headlines in what he called a political case.
The Magistrate then asked a police officer seated at the back of the courtroom whether he had observed any gesture or heard any threat. The officer responded in the negative.
Based on the circumstances, the matter was stood down for a break.
When proceedings resumed in the afternoon, Mohamed returned to the witness box and continued her cross-examination by Hughes. The trial is set to resume on April 28, 2026.
Several individuals remain before the court in connection with the March 2020 General and Regional Elections, including former Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, and former Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers.
Also charged are former PNCR Chairperson Volda Lawrence, PNCR activist Carol Smith-Joseph, along with GECOM staff members Enrique Livan, Michelle Miller, Sheffern February, and Denise Babb-Cummings.
The charges stem from investigations into alleged attempts to manipulate the results of the March 2020 elections. In total, the accused face 19 conspiracy charges.
