AFTER a few trips between the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force and the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), a decision has been arrived at by the DPP Shalimar Ali-Hack to lay criminal charges against former Public Service Minister under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, Dr. Jennifer Westford, and her personnel officer.

The Police received the advice yesterday and this was confirmed by the DPP chambers when contacted by this publication.
The former Government Minister is to be charged criminally for attempting, along with the personnel officer (PO) in the Public Service Ministry at the time, to transfer a number of luxury vehicles which belong to the State and which were being used by the Ministry up to the time that her party lost the May 11 elections.
From all indications, the illegal paperwork for the transfers began in the lead up to the transition period and the plot was uncovered by persons within the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), who saw documents which appeared to be faked and contacted Permanent Secretary in the Public Service Ministry, Hydar Ally, who is also a member of the People’s Progressive Party.
Ally’s signature appeared on the documents and when asked for additional information, Ally indicated that he knew nothing of a move to transfer vehicles and as such, immediately contacted the Ministry of the Presidency, where the information was passed on to Minister of State Joseph Harmon.
The matter had also engaged the attention of the PPP/C as confirmed by its General Secretary Clement Rohee, who said that the party had advised the former Government Minister of the party’s position in relation to the matter and the course of action she needed to take.
Shortly after the vehicles which were being transferred and which were already in possession of the former Minister and her associates were returned to the Government of Guyana.
Dr. Westford and her former staff are expected to appear in court before the week is through, providing investigators are able to put all their relevant documents in order to be presented to the court.
The eight vehicles which were all going to be transferred to persons in a fraudulent manner were to be re-registered in the names of the former Minister’s spouse, Gary Beaton, who heads the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard; Osbert McPherson, Wayne Walker and Delroy Lewis.
The letter, which was prepared almost one month before the last election, was sent to the GRA to effect the transfers two days after President David Granger was officially sworn in as the new President and it was signed by the Personnel Officer Margaret Cummings for Hydar Ally, the permanent secretary.
According to information which surfaced when the ‘scam’ unravelled, receipts were prepared and back-dated to make it appear as if monies had been collected for sale of the vehicles, when in fact that never happened.
Yesterday, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum was not available to confirm to this publication what were the exact charges recommended by the DPP against the former Government Minister and the personnel officer.
Additionally, there was no forthcoming information on if any other persons apart from the two were named as individuals who could face charges for the attempt to have the vehicles transferred to them in what most people are considering an outright fraud. (Leroy Smith)