BREAKING: MOCA arrests 3 former INSPORTS employees for multi million dollar fraud

By Kayon Raynor

Three persons including Andrew Wright, the former Financial Controller of INSPORTS were arrested and charged by the Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), in connection with a $222 million fraud racket committed at INSPORTS between 2011 and 2017.

MOCA also listed Wright as popular party promoter of "Chug It" and "French Connection". The other two persons arrested as co-conspirators are Rudolph Barnes and Oneil Hope.

The three have been charged with various offences including conspiracy to defraud, acquisition, use and possession of criminal property, engaging in transactions involving criminal property and larceny as a servant.

According to MOCA, all three are alleged to have been part of a team of former employees of INSPORTS who wrote, signed and encashed fraudulent cheques for payees who were neither employees nor contracted workers of the entity.

The suspected fraud and other irregularities were detected by INSPORTS in 2017 during an examination of their financial records. The matter was then reported to MOCA, triggering an investigation.

Director of Communications of MOCA, Major Basil Jarrett said "these arrests are the first set of arrests as MOCA currently has warrants out for several other individuals." 

Jarrett also praised MOCA's partners, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Financial Investigations Division (FID) and Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) for the critical role they played in the investigations.