APNU activist charged for threatening to kill GECOM’s Chair

A well-known activist of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Ryan Williams was on Monday released on $500,000 bail on a charge of threatening to kill Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh.

Williams, of Silver City, Wismar, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) made a virtual appearance before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.
Williams was charged with the offence of using a computer system to compel a person, however he pleaded not guilty to the charge. The prosecution is contending that Williams utilised social media – his Facebook page – to threaten to kill the GECOM Chairperson.
Williams will make his next court appearance on August 3.
It was reported that Williams, under a fake profile (Raheem Rahaman), made the threat.
The threat was made against the Chairperson after she had discarded several fraudulent reports submitted by Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield after he continuously failed to adhere to her directive of using the results from the recount exercise to compile his report.
In addition to this threat, a disturbing video on social media showed persons conducting a makeshift funeral with a doll which they say is the GECOM Chair.
These threats were criticised by several sections of society, including United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch. In a recent press conference, the US Ambassador had stated: “I am shocked and appalled at the dangerous statements and actions that I have seen directed at the Chairwoman.”
Lynch had called for these acts and attacks against Justice Singh to be condemned.
“I hope that all Guyanese will speak out on her behalf and allow her to continue her work and bring this electoral process to closure … Chairwoman Singh is a person of the utmost integrity and a distinguished jurist, who has given decades of her life in service to her country,” Ambassador Lynch posited.
In fact, back in April, Justice Singh had reported a death threat on her life to the Guyana Police Force (GPF). She subsequently told reporters, “They have a bounty on my head from Friday [April 17, 2020] night.” (G13)