Almost six months after an Elections Day incident which left a presiding officer nursing back injuries and an elections observer with a damaged phone, the matter was called for the first time in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Presidential Advisor on Empowerment, Odinga Lumumba, was slapped with charges of assault and breach of the peace, while the presiding officer Onika Beckles was charged with obstructing access to a polling place without due authority.
Lumumba was not present when the case was called yesterday.
Beckles pleaded not guilty to the charge which was read to her by Magistrate Hazel Octave-Hamilton and was later granted $25 bail.
At the beginning of the proceedings, the court orderly called for Lumumba and Beckles but only Beckles appeared.
The magistrate then proceeded to read the particulars of the charge to Beckles. It is alleged that on November 28, 2011 at a Polling Station located at Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt, she caused obstruction of access to a polling place without due authority to Gomattie Kallicharran.
Beckles’ lawyer Nigel Hughes made a bail application stating that his client is not a flight risk and is a teacher and a second year Economics student at the University of Guyana.
The police prosecutor did not have any objection to bail being granted and the magistrate granted bail.
Beckles was expressionless throughout the proceedings and said nothing.
After dealing with her, the magistrate read the particulars of Lumumba’s charges. She said it is alleged that on elections day, he caused a breach of the peace and also assaulted Beckles.
The matter was then transferred to another court for date and fixture.
When the matter was called before Magistrate Judy Latchman more than an hour later, Lumumba still was not present. The magistrate later fixed June 27 as the next court date.
Beckles had recounted to this newspaper on Elections Day last year that she had refused a PPP/C observer, who had no identification, entry into her polling station at Lot 455 Aubrey Barker Street, South Ruimveldt. Shortly after, she said, Lumumba turned up with three other men.
She said the politician verbally abused a policewoman who was securing the gate. Beckles then went to him to explain what had transpired and while speaking to her in an aggressive tone, she alleged, Lumumba pushed her into a grill door.
During the commotion, Beckles said, Lumumba grabbed the cellular phone an EAB observer was using to record the episode and threw it to the ground damaging it.
The woman later obtained a medical from the Georgetown Hospital, which showed she had sustained an injury to her back. A report was then made to the police.
Lumumba in his defence had told this newspaper that the episode was an accident and that he had pushed the woman to get past her since as a party candidate he had a right to be in the polling station. He said he was unaware that the woman had sustained an injury.
Malcolm Rodrigues, Chairman of the EAB, had said that the incident was “quite disturbing” and warranted a lawyer’s letter.
A report was made to the police and after completing investigations a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice. This newspaper had been reliably informed that since last December the DPP had recommended that Lumumba be charged.
Beckles later filed a $200,000 lawsuit for trespass and slander allegedly committed by Lumumba.
