Jennifer Westford court case…Police return fraud files to Chambers

Dec 10, 2015 News

A number of files on which the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had wanted more information have

Ex-minister, Dr. Jennifer Westford and Former Ministerial Assistant, Margaret Cummings

been returned, paving the way for the chambers to now make a decision whether more charges are likely against a former Minister and her assistant.
A source close to the investigations revealed that the files were delivered to the DPP yesterday.
The matter has to do with a $500M-plus in state funds that were discovered missing shortly after the May 11 General Elections which saw a change in Government.
Former Minister of Public Service, Dr. Jennifer Westford, and her assistant, Margaret Cummings, were both questioned in the matter.
In September, police investigators wrapped up the matter and sent the 20-odd files to the DPP for advice on the way forward.
However, the DPP wanted more clarity and details on a number of issues and returned the files to the police.
The Ministry of the Presidency had filed an official complaint to the police in late July after finding more than $120M missing from the bank accounts of the Ministry.
However, investigators eventually stumbled on $400M more missing from the bank accounts.
The police, to whom the matter had been handed over, had dispatched a special team to the Ministry of the Presidency to examine records of the payments.
Several staffers as well, as Dr. Westford and her assistant, were questioned during the probe.
Investigators had initially looked at 2014 transactions at the Ministry but went back to 2012. The monies were transferred from the Office of the President and were to be used for training workers in the various Regions. However, there was no evidence that the Regions were in receipt of any money.
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.
Both of the women, in July, 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 were 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 for which the correct tax was not paid.