Georgetown: Controversial Returning Officer of Region Four Clairmont Mingo was Monday placed on a total of $600,000 bail after being charged with four counts of misconduct in public office relating to the March 2 general and regional elections.
He was granted $150,000 bail each for the four charges when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
He is slated to return to court on September 25, 2020.
He was represented by Attorneys Darren Wade and Nigel Hughes. Wade, following the court hearing, told reporters outside the court that Mingo has to lodge his passport and report to the Police every Friday at 9am.
Mingo was arrested last Tuesday as the Police launched what it called a “comprehensive” investigation into the allegations of fraud during the 2020 elections.
Mingo should have been released from Police custody on Saturday when the 72 hour period of him being in custody expired, but the Police kept him in custody and filed the charges.
Four other GECOM staffers were also arrested and are facing charges in connection with the same allegations. At least two of them were held beyond the 72-hour period and their Attorney has raised concern about that.
One of the staffer, Sheffern February, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on two charges of conspiracy to commit fraud.
The first charges stemmed from an investigation by the Police of electoral fraud at the March 2 general and regional elections.
The charge read that on March 13, 2020, at High and Cowen Street with the intent to defraud the public of Guyana, while being a Clerk at GECOM for District Four, she did not use figures from the Statements of Poll which resulted in a false declaration being made for the General Election.
The second charge is the same but relates to the Regional Elections.
She was not allowed to plead to the charge and was granted $150,000 bail on each charge, totalling $300,000 and is due to appear in court again on September 25.
February was also ordered to surrender her passport and was instructed to report to the CID every day along with stay 50 ft away from witnesses in the case.
She is alleged to have worked alongside the Returning Officer of Region Four, Clairmont Mingo to inflate figures from the March polls to give the APNU+AFC a victory.
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