Calls made for special court to deal with lottery scamming

Frustrated with lottery scammers not being punished swiftly, a senior cop is calling for a special court to deal with such cases.

Speaking at a special Gleaner forum on crime last evening, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ealan Powell, noted that the court system is currently clogged with cases.

He says hundreds of these relate to lottery scamming.

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He says the clogged courts means that the justice system is not supporting the work of the police in nabbing alleged perpetrators.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Maxine Jackson, says she agrees there needs to be a special court for lottery scam.

However, she says there’s a need for other specialised courts as well.

Meanwhile, Anthropologist, Dr Herbert Gayle, says the problem is wider than lottery scamming and if these issues are not addressed, even if lottery scamming is eradicated another illicit activity will take its place.

Lottery scamming has been pinpointed by the police as one of the main drivers of violent crime in western Jamaica and particularly in Montego bay, St James.