Three arrested as MOCA probes $17m fraud at HEART/NSTA Trust

By Nakinskie Robinson   

 

Three people have been arrested following Friday morning's simultaneous targeted operations by the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) in Montego Bay, St. James and Portmore, St. Catherine.

 

The operations are in relation to a $17 million fraud investigation at HEART/NSTA Trust.

 

One of the arrests was made at a private residence in Garveymeade, Portmore and the other two in Montego Bay.

 

Major Basil Jarrett, Director of Communications at MOCA, says charges will shortly be brought against the three.

 

Major Jarrett, who provided further details on the investigation, said MOCA has been tracking the case for sometime. 

 

"The persons involved are suspected to have collected monies that were not due to them through the HEART [NSTA] Trust. One of the individuals is a former employee. It's something that we're concerned about because the HEART Trust is a very valuable and important institution in Jamaica. Whenever money leaves that entity, that should really be going to persons who really need it. It just makes the crime that more egregious," he lamented while speaking on Radio Jamaica's Hotline on Friday. 

 

The accused will be interrogated in the presence of their attorneys on Friday afternoon.

 

The operations, which started around 5 a.m., involved MOCA agents and operational support from the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

 

The search and seizure operations reportedly yielded electronic devices and other evidentiary items from both locations.

 

It is expected that other targeted and coordinated operations will be carried out by the MOCA team in the coming days. 

 

Meanwhile, the HEART/NSTA Trust said it initiated the investigation based on an anomaly detected as a result of its robust internal system of governance.

 

It said the matter was referred to MOCA during the 2018-2019 fiscal year.

 

It has also sought to clarify reports suggesting that Friday morning's raids were conducted at two of its locations.

 

The Trust said no raids were conducted on any of its offices.

 

It added that the current leadership of HEART is aware of the ongoing investigation and remains cooperative with MOCA and committed to acting responsibly to ensure the investigation is not compromised.

 

It said no current employee is under investigation or was taken into custody.