In a surprise appearance yesterday before the elections inquiry, GECOM Chair Claudette Singh SC said she locked herself away in a room at a crucial juncture on March 5th 2020 when an illegal declaration was being made by Clairmont Mingo for the crucial Region Four.
Singh’s statements appeared to have left the commissioners incredulous as she was repeatedly asked by them why she hadn’t taken charge of the situation and instituted action against Mingo.
Singh had sworn an oath to perform her functions as GECOM chair but ever since March 5th 2020 when she had been found locked away in a room with a senior elections officer while Mingo made his declaration, questions have swirled about her motivations.
Yesterday was the first occasion that Singh spoke extensively about what had transpired on that day. The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) was set up by President Irfaan Ali to probe the events surrounding the March 2nd 2020 elections which eventuated in a five-month delay in the declaration of the results.
Singh told the inquiry that during those critical moments she had been “stressed” and “afraid for her life” so instead of taking action, she locked herself in a room.
“…..There were so many things on my mind and I wanted to know what to do, the next step. So, I just couldn’t be bothered by anybody. I went up there (room) just to have a quiet moment,” Singh told the CoI.
Singh took the witness stand after being invited by the Commission to give evidence in the inquiry.
In her sworn testimony, Singh told the inquiry that hours after Region Four Returning Officer, Mingo declared the results for Region Four using doctored figures, she journeyed to a room on the third floor of the Ashmins Building which housed the GECOM administrative centre since she was feeling unwell. “I felt a bit dizzy. I wasn’t feeling well. There were so many things on my mind I was actually shaking….With the declaration…there were so many events,” she said.
The decision, Singh said was taken although her security detail had called on her to leave the building.
“…I said I will spend some time in a quiet moment up there and just reflect on everything which had happened,” she said while noting “I didn’t want to speak with anyone. I just wanted time because I was not feeling too well. I felt a bit dizzy and I just wanted to be by myself”.
At this point, Singh said she was still “strange” to GECOM and didn’t know who to trust. Singh had been named as GECOM Chair on July 26, 2019. She said the only person she called on was then APNU+AFC Government Minister, Amna Ally who she described as a “friend” who would often support her. “I called her (Ally) because I was afraid for my life. I thought people were coming to harm me…I knew her, she was a Minister, and she would give me some support. She told me she would be calling someone,” Singh told the CoI.
Whilst in the room, Singh told counsel for the Commission, Sophia Chote SC who is leading evidence in the inquiry that she could have heard people saying “We want the Chair! We want the Chair!” This, she said was followed by footsteps and persons subsequently threatening to break the door open. “I panicked. I became very much afraid,” Singh recalled.
Not only did she isolate herself, Singh also told the CoI that she was not taking any calls or messages. “I just wanted a quiet moment….People were calling me but I couldn’t talk to anyone. I didn’t feel up to it to talk to anyone,” Singh said.
While the phone was ringing once, Singh recalled that she tried to turn it off and she “accidentally” called Inspector Prem Narine. “He asked me if I was okay and I said no I am not feeling good and that was it,” Singh said.
Forced open
According to Singh, it wasn’t until after the door was forced open, she recognized some of the persons who were outside including party representatives and Inspector Narine and she knew they would not harm her. “The first thing they asked me was ‘are you alright?’ and I said ‘yes’ and they looked like they were relieved,” she said.
Former high-ranking executive member of The New Movement (TNM), Dr Josh Kanhai who had previously testified before the CoI had said that Singh was found locked away in a room with former Deputy Chief Election Officer, Roxanne Myers and around one dozen men. “……I saw Madam Chair seated on the couch with Miss Roxanne Myers sitting on the handle and about 12 men in that room,” Kanhai had said. According to Kanhai, the Chair appeared “flustered” and “pale”.
However, when asked about this under oath yesterday, Singh denied the testimony and contended that she only had her security officer and driver with her. As a matter of fact, she said she didn’t even know police officers were outside the room. “I was in such a state. I wasn’t watching at people who were around me,” Singh told the inquiry.
Deeming her actions “odd”, Commissioner, Justice Godfrey Smith described it as Singh abandoning her post at a critical juncture during the elections. “To say you couldn’t be bothered seems odd because you are the Chair and you are in the middle of a very serious situation. I simply want to know, at that point did you call other Commissioners and say look, I am feeling stressed, let’s meet together and weather the storm, I am not taking this on, on my own. Did that occur to you or you just preferred to shut yourself away?” Justice Smith asked Singh.
Singh briefly responded that at that time, the Commissioners had left the building.
Singh said she was eventually escorted out of the building by Senior Superintendent, Phillip Azore.
Decision
Singh also told the CoI that before this she had learnt that Mingo, who is now before the court on elections-related charges, had used spreadsheets to tally the votes cast in District Four although GECOM had decided to only use Statements of Poll (SoPs).
On the morning of March 5th, 2020, Singh said that a meeting was held with the GECOM Commissioners after a complaint was made by GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj about the use of spreadsheets during the tabulation process. “We called a meeting because he (Gunraj) complained about the use of spreadsheets which the Commission had never sanctioned. There was no agreement on that,” she said.
During the meeting, she recalled that it was former Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Lilian Chatterjee who rushed to the room and informed them that Mingo was “making a declaration”. She said none of the Commissioners said anything. Instead, they all stormed out of the room.
In response to a question from Chote, Singh said up to that time, the tabulation process was still incomplete.
Commissioner Justice (rtd) Carl Singh asked the GECOM Chair if it occurred to her that some measure had to be adopted there and then to stop Mingo. “By the time we came up there……Mingo had already made his declaration,” she responded.
During the meeting, the GECOM Chair noted that GECOM Commissioner Charles Corbin had already warned her not to interfere with the work of Mingo. “He said I should not interfere with the ROs (Returning Officers) work because the RO has a certain position,” she said.
According to the GECOM Chair, she first learnt of spreadsheets being used when former Commissioner, Bibi Shadick, who is now deceased had told her that she was going to a meeting with then Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo. “She (Shadick) told me there was some problem with some spreadsheet. Someone was trying to use a spreadsheet and that he wanted to call them off the process,” the GECOM Chair recalled.
Justice Carl Singh further questioned the Chair if she wasn’t curious who the individual was. “Did it occur to you if that was true that’s a complete deviation from an established Commission procedure? Didn’t you want to know who the someone was who was using and doing this?” he asked.
The Chair agreed and said that she waited for Shadick to return to enquire what was happening and she was told that the matter was resolved. Asked further by Justice Carl Singh “did you not worry who the someone was? And what did you do?”
The Chair said “yes I was” and explained that “sometime later” she learnt it was Mingo. Asked what action she took after learning this, the Chair told Justice Carl Singh that she had a conversation with Mingo and even warned him. “…I told Mingo himself…. I told him and I warned him after we had gone to the Chief Justice’s court. I told him when he goes back there, he must use the SoPs and he told me yes,” the GECOM Chair told the CoI.
A prank
Among the other details given during her sworn testimony were the attempts made to clear the Ashmins building before Mingo made the declaration with information that there was a bomb planted in the building.
Shortly after her return to the Ashmins building on the morning of March 5, 2020, Singh told the CoI that she was sitting with Shadick when former Chief Election Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield approached her and informed her that there was a bomb scare. “He said there was a bomb in the building. We should clear the building,” she recalled.
Singh said she and Shadick refused to leave. “…I sat right there,” she said.
Chote then asked Singh if she believed there was a bomb in the building and she responded in the negative. In fact, she said “no, I thought it was just a prank someone was pulling,” Singh said as she chuckled.
She said she was later informed by an official from the Guyana Fire Service that the building was clear and no bomb was found.
Not long after this, she said she noticed Myers was “making some signs” so she walked up to her. Singh told the CoI that Myers indicated to her that GECOM Information Technology (IT) Manager, Aneal Giddings had taken the server outside of building.
She said she called Giddings to enquire what was happening and he related that in light of the bomb scare he was removing the server to safeguard the SoPs.
Singh said she then told Giddings the building was no longer under threat and that he could return the server and get back to work.
Chairman of the CoI, Justice Stanley John particularly asked Singh if she knew about the bomb threat prior to Lowenfield telling her. She said “that was the first time I was hearing of the bomb…..I didn’t really think there was a bomb planted in the building because in Guyana we are accustomed…So like something tell me…In my own mindset I didn’t think there was any bomb scare”.
While she was being questioned by the Commissioners, the GECOM Chair continuously interrupted them by beginning to answer before they were finished asking their questions and had to be warned about this on numerous occasions.
At least two other witnesses; Assistant Commissioner of Police Edgar Thomas and GECOM Chief Security Officer, Ronald Edward Stewart had given evidence before the CoI about attempts to clear the Ashmins building before Mingo declared the District Four results using doctored figures.
Six attempts
Subsequent to this, Singh told the CoI that after court action, a recount was held but she experienced difficulties in receiving a report of the results from that process from Lowenfield.
A total of six attempts were made before Lowenfield submitted a report, she said. But before this, she had said had to send several correspondences to him.
Singh confirmed with Chote that the Commission received a report from Lowenfield on 13 June, 2020. “…Although he (Lowenfield) gave us the figures, he said that it was marred by anomalies, etc and allegations of voting impersonation. Therefore, it was not a credible process,” Singh recalled.
She explained that she then wrote Lowenfield and requested that he prepare and submit a report by 1 pm on June 18, 2020. But he did not. Instead, Singh said Lowenfield visited her office. He was accompanied by court marshals and told her “Madam Chair I was just served,” she said.
Singh said she told Lowenfield that there was a meeting at 1.30 pm and if he would “be so kind” and submit his report then. Lowenfield did not attend the meeting, Singh said.
On June 23, 2020, Singh told the CoI that she received a report from Lowenfield who said he was being guided by the court decision in the Eslyn David matter. “He bought me a report where he spoke to valid and credible votes that was based on the Court of Appeal decision and he invalidated about 100,000 votes,” she said.
The matter was then taken to the Caribbean Court of Justice and the CEO’s report was dismissed.
Again, on 9 July, 2020, Singh told the inquiry she wrote Lowenfield requesting the report the following day. He did not submit the report.
Another request was made for the report to be submitted at 11 am on July 11, 2020. “He bought a report but it contained ten declaration which were already made, we had moved forward because we were dealing with the recount figures, so I did not accept it,” Singh said.
According to Singh, a further request was made for the report on July 14, 2020 but again there was a delay. She said the report was submitted on August 2, 2020 and a declaration was made bringing an end to the months-long election crisis.
According to Singh, no effort was made to discipline Lowenfield since “everyone wanted the report”.
The Commission of Inquiry has been adjourned to January 4, 2023.
GECOM Chair, retired Justice Claudette Singh appeared before the Presidential CoI into the March 2020 elections yesterday.
