Lottery scam case in limbo

Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:Two western Jamaica men who were arrested for alleged links with the illicit lottery scam were ordered to return to the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on March 6, 2013, when the case against them is set to continue.

Javain Chambers, a 19-year-old construction worker of Little London in Westmoreland, and Dwayne Morales, also of a Westmoreland address, were given the new court date when they appeared in court on Monday.

The protracted delay in the case is to give the police time to prepare statements from several financial agencies linked to the case. Chambers is represented by attorney-at-law Lennox Green, while Morales' lawyer is Dionne Maylor-Reid.

According to reports, earlier this year, the United States Department of Homeland Security received complaints from two elderly residents who had been conned into sending sums of US$1,142 (J$101,967.12) and US$5,307 (J$473,852.48), respectively, to Jamaica, after they were told that they had won multimillion-dollar lottery jackpots.

Subsequent investigations carried out by US Homeland Security and the Jamaican police led to Chambers being arrested on August 29, and Morales being arrested at a later date.

In court, the prosecution revealed that the police had filed an application for statements to be collected from the agencies involved and requested eight weeks to complete its case file.

During Monday's hearing, Green filed an application to dismiss the case, citing that the police's investigation had been ongoing since August.

"There is this new method of setting charges and then embarking on investigation. It is symptomatic of a very weak judicial system," Green told Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small. "They (the police) must come prepared to present a case."

"I agree with you on many of the points you have made; however, the court's duty is to balance the scale of justice," replied Wong-Small.

"I have to take into account that there are persons who are victims of these crimes. I cannot grant your application that the matter be dismissed today," the magistrate added.