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Dr. Jennifer Westford trial… Ex-Snr. Personnel Officer collected monies to carry out works region wide
- after approval from Permanent Secretary
CHARGED: Dr. Jennifer Westford and Margaret Cummings
It was Ms. Margaret Cummings, a former Senior Personnel Officer at the then Ministry of Public Service, that collected monies to carry out works throughout the various administrative regions after approval was given by Omar Shariff, past Permanent Secretary (PS) at the Ministry of the Presidency.
This is according to Alwyn Williams, an accountant at the Ministry of the Presidency.
Williams was recalled to the stand yesterday when the trial of Dr. Jennifer Westford and Cummings continued before Magistrate Judy Latchman in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
He was called to give evidence in relation to several memoranda, payment vouchers and cheques. The women are accused of stealing $$639,420,000 between August 2011 and April 2015, while being employed in the Public Service of the Government.
They have pleaded not guilty to the charge and are currently out on $4.8M bail each.
During cross examination by Senior Counsel Neil Boston, who is representing the defendants, Williams told the court that memoranda and payment vouchers for the monies to carry out works in the various regions were approved by Shariff.
He said that after the approval was given cheques were prepared by the Ministry of Finance and carried to the then Office of the President by a duly authorized person. According to the witness, these cheques were endorsed by a duly authorized person and then taken to the Bank of Guyana, where they were encashed.
Williams disclosed that the monies were handed over to him and he and an accounts clerk placed the sum of monies requested for works in the regions into separate envelopes based on information provided on memoranda.
The monies, Williams insisted, were handed over to Cummings.
He stated the cheques in question were paid out after approval was given by the Permanent Secretary.
Williams was also asked about a cheque that was encashed for $30,165,000 but payment voucher was prepared for $30M. Boston repeatedly asked the witness about what was done with the extra $165,000.
Nevertheless, despite being told by Senior Counsel Neil Boston that a police officer (name called) should talk to him in relation to monies he received from the cheque that does not correspond to the payment voucher, Williams insisted the cheques prepared and monies collected were done by lawful authority.
Magistrate Judy Latchman sturdily condemned Boston after he made that statement to the accountant. However, Boston pointed out to the Magistrate that he was in no way purporting that the witness should be criminally sanctioned.
The Senior Counsel was warned by the Magistrate to desist from making derogatory remarks at Williams after State Prosecutor Natasha Baker raised objections.
Boston further grilled the witness pertaining to a specific memorandum.
In relation to this memorandum, Boston pointed out that a cheque was prepared for $50M and a payment voucher drawn up for $4M. The Senior Counsel suggested to the witness that he received $50M from a banking clerk and that he handed over $4M out of that sum to Cummings and kept the balance. The accountant strongly denied this suggestion and disclosed that he made cash payment of $46M from the monies paid out.
Earlier on in the trial, the accountant told the court that he is tasked with examining payment vouchers and supervising receipts and payment. He explained that payment vouchers are brought to him twice-physically and in the International Financial Management Accounting System (IFMAS) – before cheques are prepared.
The witness added that instructions to prepare cheques are given through IFMAS.
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