Debate suspended on anti-lottery bill

The highly anticipated debate in the Senate on the anti-lottery scam legislation has been delayed until next week Thursday.
It was expected that the bill known as  the Law Reform Fraudulent Transactions Special Provisions Act, would have been debated and possibly passed in the Senate on Friday afternoon.

Following the presentation of the bill by Justice Minister, Mark Golding during the sitting of the upper house, AJ Nicholson, the Leader of Government Business in the Senate,called for the suspension of the debate stating the need to go through the legislation with a "fine toothed comb".
Without objection, the call for the delay was agreed on by Arthur Williams, the leader of opposition business in the Senate, who signaled that the opposition was strongly behind the passage of the legislation.

The debate was held following Wednesday's special hearing by the US Senate Special Committee on Aging during which Senators suggested that persons involved scamming should be extradited to the US.
    
The Jamaican authorities were also criticised by members of the committee who said the government took too long to address the fraud.

And, despite the increased local and international attention being given to the lottery scam over the last couple of days, the police say there is still evidence that persons are actively engaged in the illegal activity.  
Early Friday, two persons, were held the western parish of St James.  
The  police  report that they held Nashville Dion,26 and his girlfriend - whose name was not released, following a search of their apartment.
They police also removed two vehicles, computers, cell phones and a book containing the names and addresses of persons living overseas.