Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Roxanne Myers. Photo courtesy “Guyana Times”.
~ GPF says otherwise ~
GEORGETOWN, Guyana--Lawyers representing Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Roxanne Myers are contending that she has been arrested for “perverting the course of justice”, but the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has contended that the official was detained for “conspiracy to defraud”.
Myers was arrested on Tuesday after she surrendered to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters moments before the Police Force was about to issue a Wanted Bulletin for her arrest.
The GPF, in a statement on Wednesday morning, said its ranks have been trying for over a month to question the DCEO in relation to its investigation into electoral fraud at the March 2 polls.
“However, those efforts were futile, as Ms. Myers made every effort to elude the Police investigators,” the GPF said, explaining that a Wanted Bulletin was consequently prepared, but before it was released, Myers showed up at CID in the company of her attorneys.
According to the GPF, “Ms. Myers was promptly arrested for the offence of ‘conspiracy to defraud’ and she was told of the allegation at the said time. She then exercised her right to remain silent.”
But Ronald Daniels, one of the lawyers representing the DCEO, has refuted the account provided by the Police Force.
In a statement, the attorney explained that he remained with Myers throughout her interrogation, which was captured on video.
“The interview was conducted by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr. Caesar, Head of Major Crimes Unit, who introduced himself in these terms. He introduced Inspector Nigel Stephens as his scribe and Corporal Desmond Johnny as the operator of the video equipment. The interview commenced at 12:07pm. This time was relayed to me by ASP Caesar,” Daniels said.
He claimed that from the outset, he asked whether Myers was being treated as a suspect in the commission of any offence, but ASP Caesar “explicitly responded that she was not a suspect.”
Daniels, in his statement, released what he says is “a substantively verbatim record of the questions ASP Caesar asked Ms. Myers and her responses.”
According to Daniels, the interview begins with introductory questions about Myers’ name, address, title and function at the Guyana Elections Commission GECOM during the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections and her familiarity with Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, who was also recently interviewed. Myers responds to every question: “I reserve my right to remain silent.”
Daniel quotes ASP Caesar as saying: “In that interview Mr. Lowenfield was asked for certified copies of the SOP used to make two declarations in the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections. He said he was on leave and we must ask you for those documents. Are you in possession of those documents?” Myers reiterated her right to remain silent and ASP Caesar continued: “Ms. Myers, the police need those documents to conduct an investigation. Your holding those documents could cause you to be charged for obstructing an investigation,” to which Myers gave her standard response.
Daniels said that ASP Caesar was visibly frustrated by Myers’ responses and said to her, “Ms. Myers: It is alleged that you are perverting the course of justice and as such you will be placed in custody. During the course of the investigations we will have persons to confront you with.”
Daniels said ASP Caesar then invited Myers to exit the room where he placed her in the custody of Women Inspectors Castello.
“I maintain that at no time did ASP Caesar, Inspector Stephens or any other police officer, on or off camera, put the allegation of conspiracy to defraud to Ms. Myers,” the attorney said.
Meanwhile, Nigel Hughes, another one of the DCEO’s lawyers, said “I … invite the Guyana Police Force to release the contents of the Station Diary at the CID headquarters which records the arrest of Ms. Myers at 12:30 for the offence of perverting the course of justice as entry number three recorded on the 6th day of October 2020.”
The GPF has not responded to the claims made by the lawyers. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has not yet responded to questions by iNews Guyana on the issue. ~ iNews Guyana ~
