Contempt Case Against Guyana Elections Commission’s Officials Withdrawn

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, June 11, 2020 (CMC) – Acting Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire accepted an application, by Attorney Anil Nandlall, today, to withdraw the contempt of Court case, filed against the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice Claudette Singh; and the Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo.

During an appearance before the Acting Chief Justice, via video conference, Nandlall admitted that he did not have sufficient evidence to proceed with the matter, hence his decision to withdraw the case, completely.

The proceedings, filed in March, claimed that Mingo was in violation of an order of the Court, in relation to the methodology that should be used for the tabulation of the Region Four votes from the March 2 elections. The Court had earlier ordered Mingo to follow the law in tabulating the votes.

Following Nandlall’s decision to withdraw the case, the Chief Justice reprimanded him for waiting, two days before the ruling, to withdraw the case and wasting the Court’s time on the matter.

Chief Justice George-Wiltshire said, previously Nandlall was aware that the case had “deficient evidence”, and was repeatedly asked whether he wanted to continue with the case, and he always responded in the affirmative.

But that changed on Tuesday, when he wrote to the Court asking that the matter be withdrawn.

George-Wiltshire reminded Nandlall that a contempt of Court case is a very serious one.

She then accepted the application to withdraw and ordered costs in the sum of GUY$150,000 for each of the officials that the case was filed against.

Nandlall indicated that he will stand the costs.