By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly news
Day 29 of the election fraud trial saw two police witnesses, Detective Cadet Officer Adusafi Felix and Corporal Dale Sam, take the stand to provide testimony relating to interviews conducted with the defendants.
Felix, who was attached to the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters and assigned to the fraud squad in 2020, testified that he served as a photographer, videographer, fingerprint technician, and crime scene examiner at the time. He recalled that on October 1, 2020, he was instructed to record a video and audio interview with defendant Carol Smith-Joseph.
The interview, conducted in the presence of attorney Nigel Hughes, was later played in court. Felix confirmed that Smith-Joseph exercised her right to remain silent when asked a series of questions.
In the afternoon session, Corporal Sam, also attached to the CID Crime Laboratory, testified that he was instructed to record another interview in October 2020 with Smith-Joseph, Hughes, and former Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo at CID Headquarters. Both recordings were tendered in court as exhibits.
The matter has been adjourned to September 25 for continuation.
The charges stem from investigations into the disputed March 2020 elections. Several former officials of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and others are accused of conspiring to rig the results. The defendants collectively face 19 conspiracy charges, and prosecutors have signaled their intent to call 73 witnesses before the trial concludes.
