54-year-old woman Charged After Trying To Collect Her Dead Mother’s Pension
Kingston, Jamaica: A 54-year-old woman is now in custody for allegedly attempting to collect her deceased mother’s pension. According reports, on Monday, January 21, Janet Jarrett, 54-year-old, visited the Accountant General’s Department to bring up to date the banking information of her mother, Hermine Byrant. This was done to facilitate the collection of her mother’s pension. Suspicions arose when Jarrett show an identification card of her mother who’s no longer alive.
The police were contacted on the matter and an investigation was done. All suspicions were confirmed when it was proved that Jarett’s mother passed three years ago. Jarrett was then arrested and charged. The Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Branch reported that Janet Jarret was charged with forgery. The charges leveled against Jarret states she forged documents and obtaining money by means of false pretense. On July 30th, Jarrett is to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.
Jarret was charged under the • Fraud Squad (Electronic Fraud) Act of the The Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Branch Unit.One commenter asked, “How is this terrorism?”
“Why do you need cops trained in counter-terrorism to arrest an old lady for this?” According to the Jamaica Observer, January 24th, 2015 article:
The Jamaica Constabulary Force has established what it calls a Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC).
The new Branch, according to yesterday’s publication of the JCF’s Force Orders, is a merger of the Flying Squad and the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID).
The eight-unit branch was formed “to strengthen the country’s security framework to effectively combat terrorism and organised crime in all forms” and is to be headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) the Force Orders added.
The units coming under C-TOC are:
• Counter Terrorism and Special Investigation,
• National Strategic Anti-gang (NSAU)/ Transnational Crime,
• Communication Forensic and Cybercrime (CFCU),
• Operations and Special Enquiries (Stolen Motor Vehicle, Major Robberies)
• Constabulary Financial Unit,
• Fraud Squad (Electronic Fraud)
• Intelligence and Covert Evidence Gathering
• Anti-Trafficking in Person, Intellectual Property (Vice Squad
ACP Devon Watkis will be the head of C-TOC.
For those who aren’t aware of what rates are for pensions, please see below:
The following National Insurance Scheme (NIS) benefits have been increased with effect from April 1, 2018.
| Category of Benefit | Previous Weekly Rate | New Weekly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Old Age, Invalidity & Widow’s/Widower’s Pension | ||
| • Full Rate | $2,800 | $3,400 |
| • 3/4 Rate | $2,100 | $2,550 |
| • 1/2 Rate | $1,400 | $1,700 |
| Maternity Allowance (Domestic Workers) | $6,200 | $7,000 |
Also, you can visit the Ministry of Labour and Social Security for more information: https://www.mlss.gov.jm/departments/national-insurance-scheme/#1558990442809-a9f52408-cc71