Former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Information Technology Manager Aneal Giddings was absent from court on Thursday as the defence was due to continue questioning him in the long-running trial arising from the disputed 2020 General and Regional Elections.
The matter came before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where Special Prosecutor Darshan Ramdhani informed the court that Giddings was unable to attend because of a personal matter.
Defence Attorney Nigel Hughes, who had cross-examined Giddings for the previous two days, told the court he had not been notified in advance of the witness’s absence. Ramdhani described the situation as “unavoidable.”
Giddings’ evidence has focused heavily on events at GECOM’s Region Four Command Centre at the Ashmin’s Building on March 5, 2020, when the tabulation of election results was interrupted following a reported bomb threat.
Server Removed Despite Instructions
Under cross-examination, Giddings acknowledged that he removed a GECOM server from the tabulation centre and placed it in his personal vehicle after learning of the bomb threat.
He also acknowledged that he did so without authorisation and despite then Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers instructing him not to proceed with the removal.
Giddings told the court that he believed he was acting within his responsibility to protect GECOM’s information resources. However, when Hughes suggested that the removal represented a “gross violation” of his contractual obligations, Giddings agreed.
The server remained in Giddings’ vehicle for approximately two and a half hours before it was returned to the tabulation centre following the intervention of GECOM Chairperson, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh.
The court has also heard that Myers suspended the tabulation process after the server was removed and instructed personnel and party agents to leave the building.
Giddings nevertheless remained inside the centre with GECOM Data Administrator Paul Persaud. Under questioning, and after being shown video evidence, he acknowledged that the two men were alone in the facility with Statements of Poll (SOPs) after the tabulation process had been halted.
Hughes put to Giddings that, during that period, he had the opportunity to switch, alter or remove SOPs. Giddings did not admit to doing any of those things.
He has also denied stealing the server or taking information from it.
Election Trial
The proceedings form part of the prosecution’s case against nine people charged in connection with alleged attempts to manipulate the Region Four tabulation of the March 2, 2020 elections. Those charged include former GECOM Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, former Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers, former Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, former government minister Volda Lawrence, former APNU+AFC Chief Scrutineer Carol Smith-Joseph and former GECOM employees Enrique Livan, Sheffern February, Michelle Miller and Denise Bobb-Cummings.
The defendants face allegations of conspiracy to manipulate the election results in favour of the then governing APNU+AFC coalition. They have not been convicted, and the allegations remain matters for determination by the court.
The trial began in July 2024 after the disputed elections had already produced a five-month delay in the declaration of the final results. The recount supervised by GECOM, with CARICOM involvement, ultimately preceded the declaration of PPP/C candidate Irfaan Ali as President on August 2, 2020.
The case has been marked by repeated delays, including the earlier dispute over whether Giddings, who was outside Guyana, should testify virtually. Hughes had objected, insisting that the former IT manager appear in person for cross-examination. Giddings subsequently returned to court to give evidence in person.
The continuation of his cross-examination is expected to resume when he is next available to the court.
