All 24 files compiled on a multi-million-dollar fraud allegedly committed by former Public Service Minister Dr Jennifer Westford and a ministry employee are now back at the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Stabroek News was informed that the last six files were delivered by police on December 30.
An official at the chambers confirmed that the files are currently engaging the attention of the DPP.
The police had to be advised on three occasions last year to complete investigations and this resulted in the files going back and forth between the police and the DPP’s chambers.
In a press release issued in early December last year, the DPP’s chambers said that at that time it was in possession of seven of the 24 police files. The seven files were received at the DPP’s office on December 9.
The statement said that on September 7, the Guyana Police Force had initially sent 24 files for legal advice. “After due legal attention was given to these 24 files, these files were returned with legal advice to the GPF because of incomplete investigations,” the statement said.
On October 29, the 24 police files were again sent by the police to the DPP’s chambers and again, after due legal attention was given, the 24 police files were dispatched to the police on November 24 and November 30, for police investigations to be completed.
Westford and Margaret Cummings became the focus of a police probe after the unauthorised attempt to transfer the registration of several vehicles belonging to the Public Service Ministry was unearthed soon after the new government took office last May. The matter is currently before the court and a ruling is to be handed down on January 19.
Following that probe, a decision was taken to conduct an in-depth investigation of the finances of the ministry. It was then discovered that hundreds of millions of dollars could not be accounted for. The missing money had been transferred from the former Office of the President to enable the Public Service Ministry to carry out duties in various regions.
The figure was initially pegged at $120M but has since risen to in excess of $600M.
