The High Court yesterday granted the police an extension to further detain District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo for an additional 24 hours, as the investigation into the alleged fraud surrounding the March 2nd General and Regional elections continues.
This was confirmed by Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, who told Stabroek News last even-ing that Mingo along with two of his assistants, Sheffern February and Michelle Miller and Information Technology (IT) officer Enrique Livan remain in police custody.
Blanhum also confirmed that another of Mingo’s assistant, Carolyn Mikhaik Duncan, who was also arrested for questioning has been released on $100,000 station bail. She is to return to the police today, as the probe continues.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that an application was yesterday made to the High Court for an extension of time to detain Mingo after his initial 72-hours detention period expired. The application was granted.
In the court document seen by Stabroek News, Chief Justice (ag), Justice Rishi Persaud granted the police an extension to keep Mingo in custody until 14.20hrs today.
The judge further ordered that Mingo report to the police at the Crimi-nal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary at 9am daily effective from August 30th.
He is to also to lodge his passport at the CID Headquarters and to report any change of residence.
If Mingo fails to comply with the order, he will be held in contempt of court and may be liable to imprisonment or have his assets confiscated.
No additional arrest was made yesterday.
The police have since obtained a number of statements from persons who were present during the period in which the fraud was allegedly committed.
Among them was Presidential Candidate of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman.
Shuman, in an invited comment yesterday told Stabroek News that he was contacted by the police about whether he was willing to participate in the investigation and he agreed.
He explained that he was invited to the CID Headquarters on Thursday during which he provided a written statement detailing the events of what transpired from March 3rd to April 4th.
“I wasn’t really asked questions. They just wanted to know if I am willing to provide a statement, which I agreed to. I went in there and actually I wrote out my statement as I recall everything and I submitted it to them,” Shuman said.
“They asked if I was willing to participate in the investigation….offering my views as to what happened and I agreed…They simply asked if I am willing to provide a statement on the activities of what transpired, I provided that and that’s it,” he added.
Peter Ramsaroop of the PPP also gave a statement.
On his Facebook page he said: “I sat at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today giving my official statement on the Electoral Fraud I witnessed 3-5 March 2020 at the GECOM Ashmin Building. I slept there in the night only going home to shower and change. I was there from the first spreadsheet, to the false declarations, to being kicked out from guarding the SOPs by riot police. I saw individuals from the other main political party in areas where they should not have been, along with spreadsheets the same as the fraud ones from Mingo and many other incidents that is now linked to the fraud. I was there at 2am for the Flash Drive Theft. Guyanese should never have to ever go thru what we experienced over the last 5 months. I am ready for the Witness Stand if called upon”.
Blanhum had previously told this newspaper that Mingo and the others are being questioned in relation to several offences including falsification of documents, uttering forged documents, conspiracy to commit fraud and misconduct in public office.
The latest of the arrests was on Thursday when the police took into custody Livan who was at the centre of a flash drive controversy at the Ashmins building on March 4th.
On the morning of March 4, the police had conducted a public interrogation of Livan at the tabulation centre at the Ashmins building after a party agent claimed they saw him entering data from a “flash drive onto a spreadsheet” outside the scrutiny of party representatives and observers.
Though video of the interrogation was widely shared, no charges have ever been brought against Livan and he remained employed with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Sixty-nine-year-old Mingo was arrested on Tuesday at his residence at Little Abary, Mahaicony and transported to the Criminal Investigation Department at Eve Leary.
Mingo is one of two named defendants in charges filed on March 13 by Charles Ramson Jr. in relation to the controversial results for District Four.
His co-defendant PNCR Chair Volda Lawrence was on Monday placed on $100,000 bail after appearing before Chief Magis-trate Ann McLennon. Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield is also the subject of a similar investigation.
