State to appeal dismissal of GY$600 million larceny charge against Jennifer Westford, Margaret Cummings

Last Updated on Monday, 3 September 2018, 16:51 by Denis Chabrol

Dr. Jennifer Westford and Margaret Cummings leaving the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courtroom of Principal Magistrate, Judy Latchman.

The State has signaled its intention to appeal the dismissal of a GY$600 million larceny charge against  former Public Service Minister, Dr. Jennifer Westford and her Administrative Assistant, Margaret Cummings.

“The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) wishes to advise that a Notice of Appeal was filed in the Guyana Court of Appeal on August 30, 2018,” the DPP’s Chambers said in a one sentence release to the media.

No details were provided.

Principal Magistrate, Judy Latchman last month dismissed the charge against the duo on the grounds that the charge was “bad in law” because constitutionally Westford was not a public officer.

Latchman, in her decision, had found that Cummings had received monies and given them to Westford but there had been no evidence that she had spent any of it.

At the same time, testimonies by several State witnesses who had been working in the 10 administrative regions and the Office of the President either could not recall or did not know of any of the several activities for which the monies had been withdrawn during 2011 to 2015.