Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 21, 2015 News
– Westford again absent from Nat’l Budget debate
Investigators are expected to soon wrap up their probe into a massive $500M-plus fraud at the Public Service Ministry. The file could be completed as early as today or Monday after which it will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.
The disclosures were made yesterday by Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, while updating this newspaper on the status of the investigations.
Government recently disclosed that the fraud, originally reported to the police as $120M, had gone past $500M.
The police, whom the matter had been handed over to, had dispatched a special team to the Ministry of the Presidency to examine records of the payments.
Several staffers as well as former Minister of Public Service, Dr. Jennifer Westford and her ex-assistant, Margaret Cummings, were questioned during the probe.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, had explained that it was noticed that monies missing from the Public Service Ministry, which was under the control of the Office of the President during the previous administration, tallied up to $120M.
However, going back to 2012, it was determined that more than $500M was withdrawn from the accounts of the ministry. The monies were transferred from the Office of the President and were to be used for training of workers in the various regions. However, there was no evidence that the regions were in receipt.
Two weeks ago, former Minister, Dr. Jennifer Westford and her ex-assistant, Margaret Cummings, were questioned by police and released on bail.
Police sleuths would have wanted to know what role, if any, the two played in the withdrawals.
It was only recently that both of the women appeared in court charged with the illegal transfer of eight vehicles belonging to the state. They were placed on a total of $2M in bail.
Several persons from the Public Service Ministry who are involved in preparing documents for payments have been questioned.
Westford is also reportedly being investigated for a recreational vehicle (RV) that was brought into the country but the correct tax was not paid.
Westford, sitting in the Opposition benches now, was set to make a presentation on the National Budget last Wednesday but left the Parliament before.
Yesterday, again she was a no show with Speaker of the House, Dr. Barton Scotland, announcing that she has requested leave of absence for the day and that has been granted.
The new administration has said that it is investigating a number of irregularities at state agencies including the Guyana Oil Company and the Guyana Power and Light Inc.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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