By: Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News|
Day 37 of the Election Fraud Trial continued on Thursday before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, where proceedings resumed with the playing of a video-recorded interview involving former Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo.
The morning session opened with Detective Senior Superintendent and Deputy Crime Chief Mitchell Caesar, who also heads the Major Crimes Unit, returning to the witness box for cross-examination. Defense attorneys questioned Caesar extensively about his conduct during Mingo’s interview, which had reportedly been conducted without the presence of Mingo’s attorney, Darren Wade.
Following Caesar’s testimony, Inspector Nigel Stephens of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) took the stand. Stephens testified that on August 28, 2020, he received instructions to conduct and record a video interview with Mingo—the same recording that was played in court. He was later cross-examined at length by defense attorney Nigel Hughes.
During the afternoon session, Corporal German Richards, stationed at CID Headquarters, also testified. He told the court that while attached to the Crime Laboratory in 2020, he was instructed to record another video interview with Mingo on August 25, 2020, as part of the ongoing investigation into the 2020 General and Regional Elections.
The case is expected to continue on October 31, 2025, when additional witnesses will take the stand.
The charges before the court stem from allegations of electoral fraud related to the March 2020 General and Regional Elections, in which several former officials of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and others were accused of attempting to manipulate election results.
In total, the defendants face 19 conspiracy charges, with the prosecution planning to call approximately 73 witnesses before the trial concludes.
