Chief of Security at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Ronald Stuart testified before the Commission of Inquiry into the 2020 elections on Wednesday that he had refused to follow sinister given to him. Those instructions involved disrupting systems in place to ensure the transparent tabulation of District Four votes.
He said the orders were given to him by the former Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanna Myers. Stuart told the commission that on the day of March 5, 2020, he knew early on that something was not right at the Command Center in the Ashmins Building.
Stuart recounted that he received a call from Myers instructing him to escort observers, party agents and political figures out of the building so as to allow District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo to tabulate the official results of the district.
“She said that they were interfering with the work of the Returning Officer Mr. Mingo,” Stuart said. He recounted that prior to the call, Mingo did not inform him that he was being interrupted by the agents who were in the tabulation room. He further posited that there was also no disturbance.
The Chief of Security however refused to carry out the instructions. “I told her that that instruction is inappropriate and I am not going to carry it out. She said ‘ok’ and then she terminated the call.” He said 15 minutes later, two men, who identified themselves as detectives, arrived at the command center and informed him that there were reports of a bomb in the building.
“Mr. Thomas (Commander) came in shortly and went straight into the tabulation room… I remained seated and Mr. Thomas came out of the tabulation center and told me that he told the persons there that he recieved information that a bomb was planted in the building. And he was advising them to leave immediately and they refused,” Stuart said.
He said that despite news of the bomb threat, no one left the building. The Chief of Security said he became more suspicious after GECOM officials remained in the building. Stuart was then asked by the commission why he refused to follow the instructions of Myers, who was a Senior officer of GECOM.
“Because of two things. I know that Mr. Thomas was earlier in the room to get them to come out and they refused. Two, they were invited by the GECOM hierarchy, and if GECOM hierarchy wanted them out they should go and tell them to leave and no try set me up,” Stuart noted.
Stuart said that after his resignation in 2020, he had reapplied for the post of Chief of Security.
