Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 July 2020, 16:48 by Written By Denis Chabrol
by Samuel Sukhnandan
Private criminal charges were filed against Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice Claudette Singh on Wednesday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court over alleged misconduct in office.
In documents seen by New Talk Radio 103.1 FM/Demerara Waves Online, three citizens namely Lorraine Joseph, Onita Walcott and Keith Ondaan have filed three separate private criminal charges against the GECOM chair.
Ondaan alleges that between March 16 and May 18, the GECOM Chair “acted recklessly and unlawfully” when she disregarded the advice of the Legal Officer of GECOM on March 16, and the advice of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Mr. Charles Fung-a-Fat SC on May 17, that a recount of the votes from March 2 Regional and General Elections was unlawful and unconstitutional, the defendant knowingly caused the Gazetting of Recount Order on May 4, and it amendment on May 29, 2020.
Joseph allege that Singh “between May 29 and June 23, 2020 acted recklessly and unlawfully when she breached the court order gazetted in the Official Gazette on May 4, 2020 and Amended Recount Order On May 29, 2020.” And Walcott also alleges that the GECOM Chair “acted recklessly and unlawfully between March 14, June 13, and June 23, 2020 when she refused to accept the Chief Elections Officer’s report on the March 2, 2020 elections.”
The GECOM chair has always maintained that her decisions are always made within the ambit of the law.
The matter has been set for hearing on August 5, 2020.
