By Marvin Cato |HgP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The high-profile 2020 general and regional elections fraud trial hit another major roadblock on Monday after the unexpected physical absence of a key state witness forced proceedings to a sudden halt, leaving the court unable to continue taking evidence.
The controversy erupted before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty when former Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Anil Giddings, who was scheduled to take the stand to deliver crucial testimony, failed to appear in the well of the court. Instead, Giddings dialed into the courtroom via Zoom from an undisclosed location outside the jurisdiction of Guyana.
The remote arrangement immediately drew fierce resistance from prominent defense counsel Nigel Hughes. Hughes raised a strong objection to Giddings delivering testimony virtually, arguing that in a criminal matter of such monumental national significance, the witness must face the court and the defense in person rather than through a digital screen.
The defense’s objection triggered immediate scrutiny from the bench. While prosecutors scrambled to confirm that Giddings was indeed overseas, they were unable to provide the magistrate with concrete details regarding his specific reasons for travel or a definitive date for his return. Following a brief adjournment intended to allow the state to establish the witness’s availability, the prosecution returned with grim news: Giddings will remain out of the country for at least another week and will only be able to provide a return timeline at a later date. With no alternative backup witnesses present to keep the momentum going, Acting Chief Magistrate McGusty was forced to adjourn the day’s hearing.
The unexpected disruption marks yet another delay in a highly contentious case that had finally started gaining traction. In recent hearings, prosecutors had successfully introduced an extensive mountain of documentary evidence, including original Statements of Poll (SOPs), Statements of Recount (SORs), and statutory tally sheets.
Just last week, the court took vital groundwork evidence from High Court Registrar Sueanna Lovell and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Inspector Nigel Stephens regarding the strict custody and identification chain of those key electoral documents. Lovell had previously testified that the sensitive election materials were securely transferred from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) headquarters to the High Court under a strict judicial order for safekeeping, with senior judicial and law enforcement officials overseeing the physical handover.
Nine high-profile individuals remain before the court facing severe conspiracy charges linked to allegations that the March 2020 election results were systematically manipulated to falsely declare a victory for the then-ruling APNU+AFC coalition. The star-studded list of defendants includes former PNCR Chairperson and Government Minister Volda Lawrence; former Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield; former Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo; and former Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers.
The bitter, post-electoral dispute resulted in a tense, five-month democratic standoff and a exhaustive nationwide recount before Dr. Irfaan Ali was ultimately sworn in as President on August 2, 2020. The fraud trial is scheduled to resume tomorrow, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, as the state attempts to call alternative witnesses to rescue the case from further stagnation.
