APPROXIMATELY ten payment vouchers and memorandums were approved by former Permanent Secretary of Ministry of the Presidency, Omar Shariff, in the multimillion dollar fraud scandal involving former PPP/C Public Service Minister, Dr Jennifer Westford and her former aid, Margaret Cummings.

This was disclosed by Alwen Williams, an accountant at the Ministry of the Presidency, who testified at the trial on Wednesday before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

Williams was being cross-examined by the women’s Attorney Senior Counsel, Neil Boston, when he made the revelation. According to Williams, the then Permanent Secretary of Ministry of the Presidency had to approve the payment vouchers and memorandums, which are later singed by an accounting officer.

A total of 23 cheques and vouchers were admitted into evidence earlier this month, ten of which Shariff allegedly approved. The witness will be cross-examined further on April 7, 2017.

Approximately 50 more witnesses are expected to be called by the state in the trial of Dr. Westford and Cummings. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has assigned State Prosecutor Teshana Lake and Natasha Backer to the case.

Westford and Cummings are accused of stealing $639,420,000 between August 2011 and April 2015, while being employed in the Public Service of the Government of Guyana. They have denied the allegation and are currently out on $4.8M bail each.

Westford of Victoria Avenue, Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and Cummings, a mother of three, of Section A Diamond, EBD are being represented by a team of attorneys – Rexford McKay, Neil Boston, Keisha Chase, Eusi Anderson, Bibi Shaddick, Brandon Glasford and Dexter Todd.