Payroll racket at UHWI smashed

[evanovitch]

Wednesday, 09 July 2008
The Fraud Squad is probing a multi-million dollar pay roll racket at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

Four persons including three employees were charged on Tuesday night with several counts of fraud and conspiracy.

Three of the workers charged are accounting clerks at the hospital, while the fourth is a former accounting clerk.

The cops say between July 2007 and April 2008 the four allegedly conspired to rip off more than $2 million from the hospital.

Three of the accused who worked in the accounts department reportedly reactivated the account of the former employee in the payroll scam.

They elevated his job title to that of medical personnel.

This led to the hospital paying out $2.3 million in salary to the former employee.

The racket was uncovered by a senior official at the hospital who called in the police.

The four accused were questioned in the company of their attorneys Tuesday and later charged.

They were released on station bail and are booked to appear in court on July 22.

[evanovitch]

Fraud Squad probe credit card scam at Customs

Following the government's crack down on corruption at the Customs Department, the Fraud Squad is now probing a multi-million dollar credit card racket at that Department.

A Customs broker/clerk was charged last week following investigation into the racket.

Kirk Wilson, 34, who is attached to one of the brokerage firms on the Kingston Wharves appeared in court Wednesday on several counts of fraud.

<span style="font-weight: bold">He is accused of using a fake credit card to clear millions of dollars worth of goods from the wharves.</span>
Mr. Wilson who was released on $500,000 bail is to return to court on August 19.

The police were called in three weeks ago after the banks informed customs of the scam.

Investigators alleged that <span style="font-weight: bold">over an unspecified period, broker/clerks have been using false credit cards and false identification cards t</span>o clear containers of goods off the wharves.

The fake cards are manufactured in the names of business people who import large shipments of food into the country.

The police believe that employees within the customs department are involved in the racket.

The new head of Customs, Danville Walker, recently warned that he would not tolerate the continued corruption within the department which cost billions of dollars in lost revenue annually.

[evanovitch]

Senior officials at National Chest Hospital in hot water


Reports of ill-treatment of a patient at the National Chest Hospital in St. Andrew has resulted in the suspension of private practice by doctors at the facility.

This as the Ministry of Health begins its investigation into allegations of malpractice against a Senior Medical Officer there.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Reports have surfaced that the doctor in question has been charging patients at private rates out of the hospital which offers public services.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">It is also alleged that the doctor has been using hospital equipment to provide services for his private practice</span>.

Speaking to the allegations Wednesday, Health Minister Rudyard Spencer said an emergency meeting with the stakeholders including the doctor in question was held on Wednesday morning.

&quot;There seemed to have been some difficulty with respect to equipment at the National Chest Hospital and starting today the leadership will meet to identify what items belong to whom, after there is empirical evidence that they so belong to those persons,&quot; he said.

&quot;We examine the complaints exhaustively as a result of those investigations we have taken some remedial action in so far as the SMO is concerned, the SMO is on leave and has advised us that he will not be seeking to have his contract renewed,&quot;

Despite this the Ministry will be reviewing the SMO's contract and a response will be issued in the next two days.

In the interim the SMO at the Kingston Public Hospital will oversee activities at National Chest.

The hospital's CEO has also asked that his contract not be renewed.

<span style="font-weight: bold">All private practice at the hospital has also been suspended</span>.

An upset Mr. Spencer had strong words for health officials.

&quot;Let me state without any hesitation or reservation, anyone who is caught charging public patients for any hospital care is going to feel the full blunt of the law with respect to the authority given to the minister. We are not going to allow a few greedy doctors to put this into disrepute,&quot; he said.

<span style="font-weight: bold">a wonda if a Dr D dis </span>

[RichD]

Re: Senior officials at National Chest Hospital in hot water

wond who bus pan dem..nuff a dem a go tremble now

[barosa]

Re: Fraud Squad probe credit card scam at Customs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-weight: bold">The new head of Customs, Danville Walker, recently warned that he would not tolerate the continued corruption within the department which cost billions of dollars in lost revenue annually.</span></div></div>

With the current climate of terror against those commited to cleaning out corruption in areas under Govt Control, Danville and his staff better be watching their backs...
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There's always hope for a brighter tomorrow.

[evanovitch]

Re: Fraud Squad probe credit card scam at Customs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: barosa</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><span style="font-weight: bold">The new head of Customs, Danville Walker, recently warned that he would not tolerate the continued corruption within the department which cost billions of dollars in lost revenue annually.</span></div></div>

With the current climate of terror against those commited to cleaning out corruption in areas under Govt Control, Danville and his staff better be watching their backs...
____________________________

There's always hope for a brighter tomorrow. </div></div>

naw man, if ur man can run fi prez an wi not be naysayers bout possible harm, the yaadies haffi mek dem mark fi our country too...dont

[evanovitch]

Re: Senior officials at National Chest Hospital in hot water

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RichD</div><div class="ubbcode-body">wond who bus pan dem..nuff a dem a go tremble now </div></div>

National Chest Hospital consultant under probe
published: Thursday | July 10, 2008

Ceila Morgan, News Editor Radio

The Ministry of Health is now reviewing the contract of a senior medical doctor at the National Chest Hospital in St Andrew, following several complaints by other doctors and patients at the institution.

Dr Dennis Pyne, a consultant vascular thoracic surgeon who has been registered with the Medical Council of Jamaica since August 8, 1971, is at the centre of the complaints.

The health ministry is to make known the findings of his contract review by Friday.

Some doctors who spoke with The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre had complained that the senior surgeon was charging patients for services at the public health institution, even though the ministry had abolished user fees since April 1.

In addition, they expressed concern about the level of treatment meted out to some patients who, they said, were forced to pay for their surgical procedures.

When contacted, Pyne declined to comment on the issue.

Following an emergency meeting involving Pyne and health officials yesterday, Health Minister Rudyard Spencer announced that the senior medical officer at the National Chest Hospital, Dr Mikael Tulloch-Reid, who is currently on leave, was not seeking to have his contract renewed.

Request for early retirement

Senior Medical Officer at the Kingston Public Hospital, Dr Patrick Bhoorasingh, is to assume responsibility for the operations at the institution. In addition, Spencer said the ministry was considering a request for early retirement by Hazel Waite, the chief executive officer at the National Chest Hospital.

Regarding complaints about the use of hospital equipment for private use, Pyne, the hospital's chief executive officer and the executive of the South East Regional Health Authority are to determine by way of invoices the ownership of the devices.

Restricted access

Charging that the health ministry was determined to see its user fee-abolition programme sustained, Spencer further announced that, effective immediately, private practice by doctors would no longer be allowed at the National Chest Hospital.

&quot;Anyone who is caught charging public patients any money for hospital care is going to feel the full brunt of the law,&quot; he warned during a press conference at the ministry's downtown Kingston offices yesterday.

&quot;We are not going to allow a few greedy doctors to put this thing into disrepute.&quot;

[email protected]

[barosa]

Re: Fraud Squad probe credit card scam at Customs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">naw man, if ur man can run fi prez an wi not be naysayers bout possible harm, the yaadies haffi mek dem mark fi our country too...dont</div></div>

Evan, mi no quite sure ow fi read yu pon di above. Fust ting, Danville Walker, head of Custom a yard, it's not quite analogous to: &quot;naw man, if <span style="font-style: italic">my man</span> can run fi prez an wi not naysayers bout possible harm, etc.

Yu seh &quot;naw man&quot;, like yu a vouch fi im safety. I can ongle wish dat is tru. De way I feel, &quot;my man&quot; is much safer dan many big man a yaad who running tings.
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Deliverance must come!