– report filed to police, cybercrime unit
CHAIR of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, on Monday, said she has filed a report withthe Guyana Police Force and the Cybercrime Unit about an alleged plot to have her assassinated.
“Of course, I reported this to the police, but not only the police, but the Cyber Crime Unit as well,” Justice Singh told reporters while at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
The GECOM Chair noted that the assassination plot was brought to her attention on Friday (April 17) night, hours after she had taken a decision that there will be no more than 10 workstations during the National Recount of all the ballots cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections.
Information about the alleged plot to assassinate the GECOM Chair and other GECOM officials, including the Region 4 Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, appeared on the website ‘Anonymous Guyana.’
“A website found on the dark-web is hosting crowd-funding assassination jobs for interested persons to execute on certain key government officials. The website has so far raised US$15,000 for the assassination of Guyana Elections Commission Chairperson. US$5000 for GECOM CEO, Clairmont Mingo,” a section of the report stated.
When asked if she was fearful, Justice Singh had this to say: “I am not afraid because death is inevitable and I believe in God.”
The GECOM Chair said that it was in the interest of transparency and accountability that she opted to facilitate the National Recount, and regardless of threats, she will continue to abide by the Constitution of the Guyana. “I am doing everything possible. I am the person who spoke about the recount. I am the person who made that commitment and I am going to see it through and shortly, too,” Justice Singh said as she pledged to have credible results delivered to the people of Guyana.
On April 3, it was the GECOM Chair who decided that the Elections Commission will proceed with a National Recount in light of the Full Court’s decision to discharge the injunctions and dismiss the Fixed Date Application for Judicial Review, filed by Ulita Moore.
Ahead of her decision, Justice Singh told the Commissioners that she was in no position to backpedal on her commitment to the High Court to facilitate the national recount. She had given an undertaking to the High Court on March 13 after the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), through its associate, had filed contempt proceedings against GECOM over an alleged failure by the Region 4 Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, to tabulate the votes cast in his Electoral District in accordance with Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act. This case was shelved, and, as such, no Contempt Order was issued.
Justice Singh was sworn-in as GECOM Chairman on April 29, 2019 by President David Granger. Moments after taking office, she committed to upholding the Constitution of Guyana in the execution of her mandate.
With some 40 years of experience, Justice Singh is one of only three women to be appointed Senior Counsel in the history of Independent Guyana.
She was called to the Bar in London in 1973 and admitted to the Bar in Guyana in 1976. Justice Singh served as Deputy Solicitor General, as a Puisne Judge and a Justice of Appeal. During her tenure at the Chamber of the Attorney General (AG), she spearheaded the Modernisation of the Justice Reform Project and is currently serving as the Guyana Police Force’s Legal Adviser.
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epapers_04_21_2020