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One day after citing the police for breaches of her religious and other rights, Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) employee, Michelle Miller was charged before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court with two counts of conspiracy to defraud during the March 2020 Elections.
Miller received $30,000 bail for each charge, amounting to a total of $60,000 bail for which no conditions were placed. She is expected to appear before the Court again on October 28, 2020.
Speaking to the Village Voice, her attorney, Latoya Roberts detailed the particulars of the charges. It is alleged that between March 3-5, 2020 at High and Hadfield Streets, Miller, appointed a Clerk for District Four, worked along with others with the intent to defraud the people of Guyana. It is alleged that, in assisting the Returning Officer (RO) for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo, she did not use the figures from the Statement of Polls (SOPs) to ascertain the figure used to make a declaration for that region as is required by law. The charge details that this resulted in a false result being made for the said District in the General Election.
In a statement on Tuesday, October 20, released by the Law Offices of Latoya Roberts & Eusi Anderson Esq., Miller had maintained that she is innocent of the accusations being put to her.
“On all occasions [interviewed by the police], I denied the said allegations, as I never called out numbers from any spreadsheet during the said Election. I also informed Corporal Hinds that my duties at all times during the Election period was to ensure that meals and materials were provided to the individuals working in the office. I denied being a Registration Officer as same was not my duty, and I also denied taking any instructions from Clairmont Mingo or anyone else at Ashmins Building during the time period in question to assist with the commission of any act that would constitute electoral fraud,” Miller has stated.
She has also told of her many engagements with the police and instances in which she believes her rights were violated. For example, since September 14, 2020, Miller, who suffers from chronic hypertension, has had to report every day from Monday to Friday to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters at Eve Leary.
She told of instances where the police kept her waiting for hours with no access to the food she must consume to meet her specific health requirements, while her blood pressure rose to concerning levels.
Miller was also instructed to report to the CID on Saturday, October 17, although she explained to police officials that she is a Seventh-Day Adventist. Seventh-Day Adventists follow the biblical teaching of resting on the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath, which begins from sunset on Friday evening to sunset on Saturday evening. Miller strongly believes that the police have breached several of her rights to date and appear to be “acting with impunity”.
