Here we go again! The criminal trial involving the alleged perverse actions of several former election officials accused of fraud during the 2020 General Elections-former GECOM Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, former Returning Officer for District Four Clairmont Mingo, former Deputy Chief Election Officer Roxanne Myers, former Minister Volda Lawrence, APNU+AFC’s Chief Scrutineer Carol Smith Joseph, and former GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Liven, Michelle Miller, and Denise Babb-Cummings, and their alleged utilization of false spreadsheets and bedsheets to brazenly steal the government, has been postponed for yet an additional 45 days.
Although their conjoint and putrid actions amount to the legal equivalent of pilfering an entire government and, by parity of reasoning, treason, only 19 conspiracy charges were instituted against them.
These further delays of another 45 days, until October 31, 2024, follows more extended sick leave of the presiding magistrate, Leron Daly, who “remains unable to return to court due to illness.” Those in charge of the judiciary are doing an injustice to the public and to the laws they were sworn to uphold, and stop this malpractice and betrayal of the public trust. They should take a deep look at their consciences, and if their actions or omissions are influenced by political or non-judicial considerations, then they must resign, and stop obtaining salaries by false pretenses on the backs of the Guyanese people they have betrayed, and hang their heads in shame.
This case speaks volumes of the state of the judiciary and justice in Guyana and its lack of independence and separation from the other branches of government as is required in all democracies-the executive and the legislature. This is real obstruction of justice!
-Hon. Albert Baldeo, District Leader in NY, USA
Fmr. Magistrate, Senior State Counsel and Police Legal Advisor, Guyana
(917) 548-1055