A police witness on Monday testified that he confronted former public service minister Dr Jennifer Westford and her chief personnel officer Margaret Cummings with the allegations that they attempted to steal state vehicles and forged documents as part of the plot and both women maintained their silence.
Inspector Richard Frank was at the time testifying at the start of the trial of Westford and Cummings for the alleged theft of state vehicles, which is being heard by city magistrate Fabayo Azore.
Frank, who was led in evidence by Police Prosecutor Stephen Telford, who took over the case from Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru, recounted that on July 9, 2015, he contacted Cummings and asked her a series of questions in relation to forged documents purporting to show the purchase of some vehicles, which were the property of the Government of Guyana.
Frank said that he told Cummings, who was in the presence of her attorney Dexter Todd, that between July 18, 2014 and April 15, 2015, at Georgetown, she forged a certain document purporting to be a receipt for the purchase by Delroy Lewis for motor vehicle PJJ 1780, which was the property of the Government of Guyana.
He said that he told her that she was not obligated to say anything at this point. Frank said that Cummings opted to remain silent.
He added that he reminded her that she was still under caution when he then put to her that between July 18, 2014 and April 15, 2015, at Georgetown, she forged certain other documents purporting to be a receipt for Wayne Walcott for the purchase of motor vehicle PJJ 8112, a receipt for Gary Beaton for motor vehicle PJJ 6675 and a receipt for Westford for motor vehicle PJJ 3344. The vehicles were all the property of the Government of Guyana. Frank said Cummings also remained silent on those allegations.
Frank said that on July 29, 2015, he also confronted Westford, who was also with her attorney, Todd. He said that he cautioned her and told her of the allegation that between July 17, 2014 and June 23, 2015, while being employed as a public servant at the Public Service Ministry, she attempted to commit larceny in that she sought to transfer motor vehicle PJJ 3344 to herself. The officer said that he also told her that she was not obliged to say anything and that her response could be put into writing as evidence. She, too, opted to remain silent on the issue, he noted.
He said that he went on to allege to the former minister that between July 17, 2014 and June 23, 2015, she had several other motor vehicles that were the property of the Government of Guyana transferred to Lewis, Walcott and Beaton. He said that she remained silent on those allegations as well.
Defence attorneys Todd and Bettina McKay-Glasford did not have questions for the witness but McKay-Glasford told the court that questions should be reserved until senior defence attorneys Rex McKay SC and Neil Boston SC could be present to cross-examine the witness.
The magistrate later told McKay-Glasford that the senior members of the defence team who are absent could request the witness to make a second appearance to be cross-examined if needed.
After she was told that only one witness was present to testify, Magistrate Azore subsequently adjourned the trial until June 1.
