High Court hearing stalls start of Jennifer Westford's trial

High Court hearing stalls start of Jennifer Westford’s trial

Sep 27, 2016 News

The trial of Dr. Jennifer Westford and Ms. Margaret Cummings in relation to the eight state vehicles, for which they forged documents and attempted to transfer to persons, has once again been stalled.
Magistrate Fabayo Azore adjourned the matter until March 31, 2017, yesterday, after attorney for the defendants, Dexter Todd, indicated that he is still awaiting a date for hearing on a Constitutional Motion filed before Chief Justice (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards in the High Court.
The Former Minister and Cummings were placed on a total of $2M bail after they pleaded not guilty to several charges, last year.
It is alleged that between July 17, 2014 and June 23, 2015, Westford attempted to transfer eight state vehicles to four persons.
Cummings was also slapped with four counts of forgery. She also pleaded not guilty to four charges which alleged that she forged documents for the purchase of the eight motor vehicles.
Westford was granted bail in the sum of $800,000, while Cummings was admitted to $1.2M bail.
Initially, this trial was scheduled to commence on April 18. However, it was forced into several adjournments on request by the defendant’s attorney as a result of a ruling yet to be made by the Chief Justice on the Constitutional Motion.
At that hearing, Police Prosecutor Bharat Mangru was ready to proceed with the trial and had three witnesses present. These were former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service Hydar Ally, Police Sergeant Frank and Assistant Superintendent of Police Simeon Reid.
The prosecutor has since indicated that he intends to call a total of 17 witnesses.
In June 2015, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, had told the media that it was brought to his attention that some documents were sent to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), purportedly signed by Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Ministry, Hydar Ally.
This was done under Ally’s letterhead, but signed by someone else. “He had no knowledge of this transaction,” Minister Harmon had stressed.
It was Ally who directed Harmon to the discrepancy in the paperwork forwarded to GRA for the transfer of eight vehicles.
In light of the overwhelming evidence, the vehicles were returned to the government.
Earlier this year, Magistrate Azore had overruled a submission citing “executive abuse” made by Senior Counsel Neil Boston and signaled her readiness to proceed with trial.
This was after Boston had contended that the institution of criminal charges against the Former Minister and Cummings breaches an amnesty promise made by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.
Boston had stated that Harmon had promised that once the vehicles were returned no prosecution will take place. Boston had said that all the vehicles were returned to the Office of the President (OP) and in spite of the amnesty, his clients were still charged.
However, Magistrate Azore ruled that the statement made by Harmon was ambiguous. She stated that the court is not sure if what the minister said amounts to an amnesty or pardon. Magistrate Azore had told the court that she is not sure why counsel was contending that an amnesty was granted.

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High Court hearing stalls start of Jennifer Westford’s trial

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