Georgetown: Controversial Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo has asked the High Court to order his immediate release from police custody after he was arrested Tuesday in relation to allegations of electoral fraud.
By way of writ of habeas corpus, Mingo is contesting his “unlawful detention” to the court, and has asked that the Commissioner of Police appear before the Judge, for the court to determine whether the detention is lawful.
The proceedings were filed by Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde and lawyer Darren Wade, on behalf of Mingo’s wife, Waveney, who said that the police are in breach of her husband’s fundamental rights and liberty, and that her husband is being detained without lawful excuse.
The matter comes up for hearing today at 13:30hrs before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the High Court in Demerara.
Meanwhile, the three women, who are GECOM personnel who were also arrested after police interviewed Mingo have since retained Attorney-at-law Eusi Anderson as their lawyer.
“Each of my three clients has cooperated with the police, from the point of arrest to their present detention; two were picked up at their homes, and one voluntarily went in to the police,” the lawyer noted.
“None of my clients are Mingo’s assistants; they are statutory officers of GECOM discharging functions according to law, some for over 15 years without a complaint or blemish on their record. To reduce their office and responsibility to mere ‘assistants’ of Mingo is unfortunate, and pregnant with connotations that can redound in substantial prejudice to my clients,” he added.
Court Marshalls had been looking for Mingo to serve him with a warrant for his arrest on criminal charges, which were filed by a private citizen, but were unable to locate him for several weeks.
The charges were filed in March by Attorney-at-Law Charles Ramson Jr, against Mingo, and PNCR Chair Volda Lawrence in relation to the controversial results for District Four.
One of Mingo’s attorneys, Senior Counsel Roysdale Force on Tuesday night outside the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) claimed that Mingo’s legal rights were abused by the police by denying him legal representation during questioning.
“He was provided with no information about why he was removed from his home; he was afforded no explanation. He had to insist to get some idea as to why he is here. I don’t believe that was put to him in any clear way,” Forde said.
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