Letter of the Day | Crime will not pay

THE EDITOR, Sir:

Jamaica has always been a hotspot for crime. In recent years, there have been concerns about the frequency of white-collar crimes involving professionals, many of them young professionals.

When news broke about the $50-million fraud incident at Sagicor bank, allegedly involving a branch manager and a personal banker, someone online commented on seeing the photo of one of the women accused, “brains without morals”.

I thought about this intensely. What were these women thinking? How can people with intelligence allow themselves to be lured into these types of crimes, risking everything they’ve worked so hard for in life?

The Sagicor case is yet to be tried and proven in court, but to be arrested suggests that there is compelling evidence against the accused.

I’ve always believed that fraud (unlike most crimes) is not difficult to prove in court. There is paper trail, money trail, audit trail, signatures and even fingerprints – the money eventually ends up somewhere.

The idea that people think they can defraud employers and clients and get away with it is mind-blowing. Obviously, it’s not brains, but a lack of morals, decency and self-respect.

Those accused will have their lives scarred forever. Even if found not guilty or guilty of a lesser crime, it will be difficult to revive careers. To have one’s name and photo splashed across the media and linked to fraud is not much different from walking into a bank unmasked and attempting to rob at gunpoint, and getting caught in the middle of the act.

I believe Jamaica’s high corruption index, plus social media influences conjuring up illusions of life in the fast lane, might be some reasons why people do what they do.

Not long ago a former NCB bank manager was arrested and found guilty for fraud, the lady lived a lavish life which was flaunted on social media for all to see. Now she is behind bars serving time.

We’ve seen a number of attorneys arrested and disbarred from practising law for defrauding clients.

Former Minister of Education Ruel Reid and ex-president of Caribbean Maritime University, Fritz Pinnock, are two high-ranking public officials awaiting trial for allegations of fraud and corruption. The last attempt to have their case dismissed was denied by the UK Privy Council recently; Reid and Pinnock argued that the Financial Investigations Division had no authority to investigate them.

The audacity of having no shame!

Those who are inclined to defraud should know that organisations have multiple controls, systems and procedures, including audits, that can flag suspicious activities.

My advice is to consider the risks and the consequences before being lured away by greed, only to ruin your lives in the process.

P. CHIN