The high-profile election fraud trial was on Monday adjourned after the prosecution informed the court that its witness, Aneal Giddings, who served as Information Technology (IT) Manager at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in 2020, is currently out of the jurisdiction.
When the matter was called before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, the prosecution applied for Giddings to give his testimony via Zoom, noting that he is expected to remain overseas until after July.
Defence attorney Nigel Hughes, however, objected to the application, noting that Giddings was recently appointed Guyana’s Data Protection Commissioner. Hughes argued that the witness is a key figure in the case and should appear in court in person, particularly for cross-examination.
In response, Magistrate McGusty proposed a compromise, suggesting that the prosecution could proceed with Giddings’ evidence-in-chief remotely, provided he appears in person for cross-examination.
The prosecution subsequently sought instructions from its superiors. When the matter was recalled, the prosecutor informed the court that the State preferred to defer Giddings’ testimony until he is available to appear in person.
The magistrate then enquired whether the prosecution had another witness available. The prosecutor indicated that the next witness scheduled to testify is former Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn, who is expected to take the stand on Wednesday.
The matter was adjourned and will resume on June 24, 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, and 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 General and Regional Elections. In total, the accused face 19 conspiracy charges.
