No govt minister linked to cash-jet, says Luncheon

Last Updated on Wednesday, 15 April 2015, 19:47 by GxMedia

The Guyana government on Thursday scoffed at reports that outgoing Human Services Minister, Jennifer Webster resigned because she was linked to the discovery of a large amount of cash aboard an executive jet in Puerto Rico.

“Neither am I nor cabinet nor the government aware that a minister of the government of Guyana been associated with Mr. (Khamraj) Lall, the pilot of the jet service who is now in North America being charged with various offences under the money laundering acts in that jurisdiction,” said Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon.

He stressed that government has “absolutely no information whatsoever” that a government minister or Webster was linked to the offences that Lall has allegedly committed.

He maintained that Webster demitted office because of deteriorating health. She is also not on the People’s Progressive Party Civic’s (PPPC) list of candidates for next month’s general and regional elections.

Luncheon appeared quite certain that no cabinet member was the subject of investigations by any international organisation or foreign country. “I am not aware of any investigation by any international organisation or country into the cabinet members,” he said.

Pilot Khamraj Lall was arrested on November 22, 2014 in Puerto Rico during a routine technical stop after a search of the aircraft by federal agents yielded a total of US$620,000.

He is currently on US$100,000 bail and the cash and plane have been seized as part of the prosecution’s evidence.

At the time of the seizure, Lall and a number of other persons aboard the plane were on their way back to Guyana.