SOURCES in the Guyana Police Force have confirmed that former PPP/C Public Service Minister, Dr. Jennifer Westford is among several persons under investigation in a possible multi-million dollar scam.The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that the police received information and supporting documents which named, among other persons, the former Minister as being part and parcel of the misappropriation of more than $100M.
According to the sources, the cash was transferred to the Ministry as part of funds to be used to carry out a complete review of the services which were provided by the Public Service Ministry.
The date on which the money was released was not made clear to this publication but the review had to do with the assessing of current programmes and services and whether any of them needed to be reviewed with a view to either being replaced or upgraded.
That exercise was, however, never conducted by the Ministry and the monies which were reportedly transferred in cash to the Ministry were never returned to its source.
At a post-cabinet briefing yesterday morning, Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman confirmed that the Government was aware that the police are investigating a matter which involves millions of dollars
The Minister was, however, quick to point out that without any prejudice to any ongoing investigation, the Government continues to see things bubbling up by the days from the deep and when those things come to light they are passed over to the police.
According to Minister Trotman, the probe with respect to the cash does involve the Public Service Ministry but he noted that in keeping with the principled position of the new AFNU+AFC Government, he will not get involved or interfere with the police investigations.
The Governance Minister did not name the former Minister of Government although this newspaper was able to confirm that it was the same embattled former Public Service Minister whose name appeared on documents in relation to the missing cash.
The cash was said to be transferred into the personal banking accounts of several persons and the names of those persons are with the police in a very thick file which details all the information that the police will need to review in order to build a case before forwarding the file to the Director of Public Prosecution for advice.
The police sources said that the investigations are in their initial stages as it was only earlier this week that the police received the information about the funds that were reportedly misappropriated.
Westford happens to be currently listed as one of the Opposition PPP/C’s prospective Members of Parlaiament.