Corrupt Gov’t employees sentenced | The RPD will pursue without fear, says Acting Commissioner

"The RPD will pursue without fear or favour those who would deprive the public purse of much needed revenue. The matter concerning the fraud against the Ministry of Labour and the pensioners is particularly painful as it impacts those among us who, having contributed to nation building in their own way, are now being deprived of their benefits,” Morgan said.

Morgan’s comments came after the RPD was successful in matters in the corporate area parish court late last month.

In the first case, Steven Ming, an employee of the Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), who was before the court on charges of fraudulent conversion and embezzlement, pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement.

The charges stemmed from allegations that in 2016 Ming collected sums of money from taxpayers in respect of property tax on behalf of the TAJ and used these sums for his own benefit.

The sum of $215,000.00 was paid by Ming to the courts as restitution. He was sentenced to one year's probation.

In the second case, Oshea Montique, who was arrested by RPD officers on February 23, 2018 and charged under the Larceny Act with eight counts of causing monies to be paid out in a fraud scheme perpetrated against the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS).

Montique pleaded guilty on his first court appearance and was similarly sentenced to one year's probation and paying $620,000.00 in restitution.

In the same matter, Elvis Simms, a former employee of MLSS is to be sentenced on February 26, 2019 for his role in the matter. Simms pleaded guilty to six counts of receiving stolen property, four counts of obtaining money by false pretence, four counts of uttering forged documents, and one count of conspiracy to defraud.

He has already been sentenced to six months at hard labour, suspended for one year in respect of one charge of obtaining money by false pretence, and has, to date, made restitution amounting to $242,000.00.

George Parnell, Dwainton Williams, Renardo White and Rupert Rodriques, all former employees of MLSS who were also arrested and charged in the same matter, will have their cases continue this month.

Two other accused, Nadine Robinson Ricketts and Roderick Brown were previously sentenced by the court with Brown repaying $1.9 million to the coffers.