BY: Travis Chase | HGP NIGHTLY NEWS |
A heated confrontation unfolded in court on Monday as prosecutor and King’s Counsel Thomas Astaphan clashed repeatedly with defence attorney Yusuf Anderson during the testimony of Beebee Anisha Mohammed, Director of the Guyana Learning Channel and former PPP/C tabulation agent in the March 2020 General and Regional Elections.
Mohammed’s testimony before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty sparked multiple objections, aggressive exchanges, and warnings from the bench as both legal sides battled over what could and could not be asked.
Witness Outlines Pre-Election Procedures
Mohammed testified that GECOM invited political parties before the 2020 polls to observe key preparatory procedures, including the packing of ballot boxes.
She said staff from GECOM and representatives of major political parties participated in the process, and confirmed that GECOM staff packed the boxes.
This prompted immediate objection from Anderson, who accused the prosecution of “leading the witness.” He urged the court to restrict what he described as “suggestive questioning.”
Mohammed also disclosed that five additional ballots were placed in several boxes to compensate for spoiled ballots.
Courtroom Heats Up
Tension escalated when Anderson questioned how the witness could determine the total number of Statements of Poll (SOPs) used nationwide.
Astaphan shot back, telling the court it “would be helpful if Mr. Anderson waited his turn to cross-examine rather than interrupting every minute.”
Anderson insisted he had a duty to assist the court and protect his clients.
Astaphan countered that the defence appeared to be “missing parts of the evidence.”
Anderson argued that portions of Mohammed’s testimony were not reflected in her written statement.
Claims of Irregularities at Ashmins Building
Mohammed recounted what she claimed to have observed at the Ashmins Building on March 4, 2020, including:
- The Returning Officer inflating votes for the APNU+AFC
- Votes being deflated for the PPP/C
- Objections being ignored
- Staff complaining of fatigue
- Tabulation being done without reference to the Statements of Poll
She told the court she requested that the CEO, Keith Lowenfield, assign someone else to continue the process. She said Enrique Livan was brought in, and later removed a flash drive from a laptop before leaving the room.
Issues Raised Over Recount and Public Declarations
In the afternoon session, Mohammed testified that she monitored results for all 10 districts during the 35-day national recount.
She claimed that Lowenfield’s June 23, 2020, report did not match the Statements of Poll or Statements of Recount.
Anderson again objected, arguing she was not qualified to make such comparisons.
Attorney Dexter Todd also objected to the witness’s offer of that analysis.
Cross-Examination to Begin November 25
Mohammed will return to court on November 25, after which she is expected to face a lengthy and searching cross-examination.
