– certified SoP’s analysis shows how March 5, March 13 Region Four declarations ‘altered’ the result of the March 2, 2020 election
Forensic accountant Terrence Jaskaran’s analysis of certified Statements of Poll showed that the March 5 and March 13, 2020 Region Four declarations had the net effect of overturning a PPP/C lead of more than 15,000 votes and placing APNU+AFC ahead, according to prosecutor Latchmie Rahamat.
Jaskaran continued his testimony on Monday before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty in the ongoing 2020 elections fraud trial.
Rahamat said Jaskaran had been retained by the Ministry of Home Affairs as a financial-analysis consultant and was instructed by police to examine certified SoPs obtained through a High Court order. His task was to tabulate the figures and compare them with the Region Four declarations made on March 5 and March 13, 2020.
According to the prosecutor, Jaskaran’s tabulation of the certified SoPs showed the PPP/C ahead of all other parties by at least 15,000 votes in the overall election result.
However, Rahamat said the March 5 Region Four declaration recorded more than 20,000 additional votes for APNU+AFC. She said that increase first erased the PPP/C’s SoP-based lead and then carried APNU+AFC beyond it.
The March 13 declaration, she said, had a similar overall effect.
“The declarations of the 5th of March 2020 changed the results of the 2nd of March election, giving the APNU+AFC the victory,” Rahamat said.
She added that the evidence presented by Jaskaran must be assessed alongside earlier testimony from persons who were present at the Ashmin’s Building, including Sasenarine Singh, Sonia Parag, Rosalinda Rasul and Lenox Shuman.
Those witnesses, Rahamat said, testified that figures were called from a spreadsheet rather than from the Statements of Poll and that the figures did not match the SoPs held by political parties.
The prosecution contends that the evidence, taken together, is beginning to show how the alleged offences were committed. The nine accused have pleaded not guilty, and the court has not yet made any findings on the allegations.