GEORGETOWN – Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire on Thursday accepted an application by Attorney Anil Nandlall to withdraw the contempt of Court case filed against the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice Claudette Singh, and the Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo.
During the appearance 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.
The Chief Justice said Nandlall was repeatedly asked whether he was continuing 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 But that changed on Tuesday when he wrote to the Court asking that the matter be withdrawn.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 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 each for the officials that the case was filed against.
Nandlall indicated that he will stand the costs. (CMC)