By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The chain of custody and data security surrounding sensitive national voting records took center stage in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court during the ongoing 2020 General and Regional Elections trial, as former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Information Technology Manager Aneal Giddings conceded under cross-examination that information could technically have been extracted from a primary Commission server while it was in his sole possession inside his personal vehicle.
The admission emerged during cross-examination by defense attorney Nigel Hughes, who challenged Giddings’ decision to unilaterally remove the server from GECOM’s central tabulation command center at Ashmins Building during a reported bomb threat and secure it inside his private motorcar.
The Silver-Grey Vitz: Chain of Custody Broken During Bomb Scare
Under questioning from Hughes, Giddings admitted that amidst the confusion of an unverified bomb scare at the Hadfield and High Streets tabulation headquarters, he removed the server housing election data from the premises and transferred it directly into his personal vehicle—identified in court as a silver-grey Toyota Vitz.
- Unilateral Removal: Giddings testified that the evacuation prompted by the bomb threat led him to remove the server to safeguard the hardware.
- Order to Return: The court heard that then-Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Roxanne Myers subsequently contacted Giddings and directed him to return the server to GECOM’s operational custody.
- Technical Vulnerability: Hughes pressed Giddings on whether the security of the server could have been compromised while it remained outside the Commission’s physical facility. Giddings conceded that an individual equipped with basic peripheral hardware—specifically an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), monitor, keyboard, mouse, and USB flash drive—could technically have booted the machine and extracted sensitive electoral data while it was stored inside the vehicle.
Exclusive Web Credentials and Missing Standard Operating Procedures
Hughes scrutinized Giddings’ operational mandate, oversight authority, and compliance with statutory administrative frameworks:
- Sole Web Administrator: Testimony established that Giddings was the sole individual holding the administrative login credentials required to upload election declarations, spreadsheets, and official documents to GECOM’s public website.
- Absence of Documentation: During cross-examination, Giddings was unable to present a copy of his employment contract, written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) governing his IT functions, or official email documentation establishing his delegated authority over pre-election IT infrastructure preparations.
- Ballot Watermark Controversy: Hughes challenged Giddings regarding his technical involvement in inspecting and detecting ballot paper watermarks during the disputed election, questioning whether this specialized verification task was ever formally authorized by the Commission or his statutory superiors.
Cross-Examination to Continue with Video Exhibits
Giddings’ testimony represents a key phase of the marathon electoral fraud trial arising from the protracted five-month political impasse following the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.
Nine defendants are currently before the court facing charges of conspiracy to declare fraudulent results and misconduct in public office. The accused include:
- Keith Lowenfield, former Chief Elections Officer (CEO);
- Roxanne Myers, former Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO);
- Clairmont Mingo, former Region Four Returning Officer;
- Alongside opposition political figures and supporting GECOM registration clerks.
The cross-examination of Giddings will resume before the presiding magistrate, with defense counsel scheduled to introduce video surveillance recordings capturing the movements of election staff, security personnel, and equipment inside the Ashmins Building command center.
