By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The high-stakes 2020 election fraud trial continued on Monday, February 16, 2026, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, with Ambassador Sasenarine Singh delivering “explosive” testimony regarding the controversial District 4 tabulation process.
Testifying before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty, Singh—who currently serves as Guyana’s Ambassador to the Netherlands—detailed how figures presented by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) staff at the Ashmin’s Building command center appeared to be systematically manipulated.
The “Spreadsheet” Confrontation
Ambassador Singh, acting as a supernumerary agent during the March 2020 polls, recounted the moment former District 4 Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo attempted to alter the tabulation methodology.
- The Mingo Proposal: Singh testified that Mingo informed stakeholders of his intent to “accelerate” the process by extracting data from Statements of Poll (SOPs) onto a spreadsheet, rather than verifying figures directly from the original SOPs in front of party agents.
- The Objections: This move was met with fierce resistance from party representatives. According to Singh, former Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield intervened, advising that Mingo should proceed, but that any discrepancies between the spreadsheet and the agents’ carbon copies of the SOPs should be reported immediately.
“Inflated” vs. “Reduced” Votes
Singh’s testimony took a sharp turn when he described the actual calling out of the spreadsheet figures.
- The Discrepancy: Singh told the court that when staffer Mitchell Miller began announcing the spreadsheet totals, they did not match the carbon copies held by party agents.
- The Alleged Manipulation: Singh testified that votes for the APNU+AFC appeared to be “inflated,” while votes for the PPP/C appeared significantly “reduced” compared to the figures on the official SOPs.
The Battle Over Evidence: Certified vs. Original SOPs
A significant legal skirmish broke out during the session regarding the documents the prosecution intends to tender as evidence.
- Defense Objection: Defense counsel Eusi Anderson and others challenged the use of certified copies of GECOM’s SOPs, arguing that original documents are generally required in criminal proceedings.
- Prosecution’s Position: The prosecution explained that the original SOPs are currently under the protection of the High Court, following a 2021 order by Chief Justice Roxane George.
- The Compromise: The court was informed that the Registrar of the High Court, acting under a separate order, made copies of these originals and handed them to the police for the trial. These certified copies are what the prosecution intends to rely on.
Trial Schedule and Outlook
Ambassador Singh is scheduled to return to the witness box on Wednesday, February 18, for what is expected to be a rigorous cross-examination by the defense.
- Witness Count: The prosecution has indicated that roughly 73 witnesses are slated to testify across the 19 conspiracy-related charges.
