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Don’t jail scammers!
Lady Allen wants perpetrators to help fight crime
Thursday, April 18, 2013
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Lady Allen, wife of Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, is urging the authorities to utilise the talents of some persons involved in the lottery scam, instead of throwing then in jail.
"I think the mistake we are making is to lock up some of these people behind bars. We need to get them together and use their creative genius to catch the others that are out there. We need to use the resources we have," said Lady Allen.
Lady Allen, wife of Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, speaking during last week’s launch of the Western Union National Reading Week held at John Rollins Success Primary School in Rose Hall, St James. (PHOTO: PHILLIP LEMONTE)
Lady Allen, wife of Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, speaking during last week’s launch of the Western Union National Reading Week held at John Rollins Success Primary School in Rose Hall, St James. (PHOTO: PHILLIP LEMONTE)
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"We have geniuses here, people who can do scamming. It don't take any ordinary brain to do the things I hear that some of these people are doing. They are bright, brilliant people, we have to channel their minds in the right direction."
Lady Allen was speaking during last week's launch of the Western Union National Reading Week held at the John Rollins Success Primary School in Rose Hall, St James.
Her comments came less than a month after the House of Representatives Upper House passed the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act 2013, otherwise called the Lotto Scam Act, with some 14 amendments.
The law makes specific provisions for a number of offences, including obtaining property or inducing any person to confer any benefit on any person by a false pretense; inviting or otherwise inducing a person to visit Jamaica for the purpose of committing an offence under the Act; knowingly permitting premises to be used for any purpose which constitutes an offence under the Act; and knowingly conducting a financial transaction with the proceeds of an offence.
The law also outlines stiff penalties for other offences committed under the Act. Earlier this month, the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) welcomed the passage of the Lotto Scam Act.
" The Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports wholeheartedly the passing of the bill to prosecute persons involved in the illegal scamming activity," MBCCI president Davon Crump told the Observer West, then.
" We see this as a step in the right direction because for too long these persons have sought to tarnish the reputation of our tourism product and ICT sector and in particular have cast our own western community, particularly the city of Montego Bay in a very bad light".
Crump noted that the MBCCI had lobbied long and hard for the relevant authorities to act decisively "and we are now happy to see that it has now come to fruition".
The lottery scam which started in the island about a decade ago, has been blamed for a number of crimes committed in the country.
Infact, the illegal activity is responsible for more than 80 per cent of the 300 murders committed in the parish of St James over the last five years, according to the police.
Meanwhile, thousands of students from 40 primary schools in western Jamaica are to benefit from the I-PLEDGE Programme that was launched by GraceKennedy through its Western Union brand, last week.
Under the I-PLEDGE Programme (I Promise to Lend Encouragement to Develop Growth in Education), the schools will be provided with special reading materials, and will be fully computerised by yearend.
The project which will cost some $10.5 million, has received support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the GraceKennedy Foundation.
At last week's function, Lady Allen also used the occasion to laud Grace Kennedy for initiating the I-PLEDGE programme, arguing that it will be have a positive impact on the needy students.
"Thanks to GraceKennedy Remittance Services and Western Union for putting their money where their mouth is because we are living in hard times. Many of the children... you know that many mornings many of you do not have breakfast, but you are running to school. Your parents don't have money to give you to buy lunch or a snack, but you come to school, because you want an education and GraceKennedy has joined forces to educate you, to make sure that you are able to read," she explained.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/regio...#ixzz2QpbHFl2B
Don’t jail scammers!
Lady Allen wants perpetrators to help fight crime
Thursday, April 18, 2013
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Lady Allen, wife of Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, is urging the authorities to utilise the talents of some persons involved in the lottery scam, instead of throwing then in jail.
"I think the mistake we are making is to lock up some of these people behind bars. We need to get them together and use their creative genius to catch the others that are out there. We need to use the resources we have," said Lady Allen.
Lady Allen, wife of Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, speaking during last week’s launch of the Western Union National Reading Week held at John Rollins Success Primary School in Rose Hall, St James. (PHOTO: PHILLIP LEMONTE)
Lady Allen, wife of Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, speaking during last week’s launch of the Western Union National Reading Week held at John Rollins Success Primary School in Rose Hall, St James. (PHOTO: PHILLIP LEMONTE)#slideshowtoggler { FILTER: none !important; ZOOM: normal !important}#slideshowtoggler A { FILTER: none !important; ZOOM: normal !important}#slideshowtoggler IMG { FILTER: none !important; ZOOM: normal !important}
1/1 "We have geniuses here, people who can do scamming. It don't take any ordinary brain to do the things I hear that some of these people are doing. They are bright, brilliant people, we have to channel their minds in the right direction."
Lady Allen was speaking during last week's launch of the Western Union National Reading Week held at the John Rollins Success Primary School in Rose Hall, St James.
Her comments came less than a month after the House of Representatives Upper House passed the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act 2013, otherwise called the Lotto Scam Act, with some 14 amendments.
The law makes specific provisions for a number of offences, including obtaining property or inducing any person to confer any benefit on any person by a false pretense; inviting or otherwise inducing a person to visit Jamaica for the purpose of committing an offence under the Act; knowingly permitting premises to be used for any purpose which constitutes an offence under the Act; and knowingly conducting a financial transaction with the proceeds of an offence.
The law also outlines stiff penalties for other offences committed under the Act. Earlier this month, the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) welcomed the passage of the Lotto Scam Act.
" The Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports wholeheartedly the passing of the bill to prosecute persons involved in the illegal scamming activity," MBCCI president Davon Crump told the Observer West, then.
" We see this as a step in the right direction because for too long these persons have sought to tarnish the reputation of our tourism product and ICT sector and in particular have cast our own western community, particularly the city of Montego Bay in a very bad light".
Crump noted that the MBCCI had lobbied long and hard for the relevant authorities to act decisively "and we are now happy to see that it has now come to fruition".
The lottery scam which started in the island about a decade ago, has been blamed for a number of crimes committed in the country.
Infact, the illegal activity is responsible for more than 80 per cent of the 300 murders committed in the parish of St James over the last five years, according to the police.
Meanwhile, thousands of students from 40 primary schools in western Jamaica are to benefit from the I-PLEDGE Programme that was launched by GraceKennedy through its Western Union brand, last week.
Under the I-PLEDGE Programme (I Promise to Lend Encouragement to Develop Growth in Education), the schools will be provided with special reading materials, and will be fully computerised by yearend.
The project which will cost some $10.5 million, has received support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the GraceKennedy Foundation.
At last week's function, Lady Allen also used the occasion to laud Grace Kennedy for initiating the I-PLEDGE programme, arguing that it will be have a positive impact on the needy students.
"Thanks to GraceKennedy Remittance Services and Western Union for putting their money where their mouth is because we are living in hard times. Many of the children... you know that many mornings many of you do not have breakfast, but you are running to school. Your parents don't have money to give you to buy lunch or a snack, but you come to school, because you want an education and GraceKennedy has joined forces to educate you, to make sure that you are able to read," she explained.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/regio...#ixzz2QpbHFl2B
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