Former Stocks & Securities Limited (SSL) employee Jean-Ann Panton whom many Jamaicans believe is the sacrificial lamb for the SSL fraud scandal, was slapped with several charges concerning the multibillion-dollar fraud scandal on Friday morning, February 17, 2023.
Panton, scheduled to appear in the Supreme Court late Friday, February 17, 2023, was formally charged with breaches of the Larceny Act, the Proceeds of Crime Act, the Forgery Act, and the Cybercrimes Act.
A spokesperson for the Financial Investigations Division (FID) has said it would seek to prefer additional charges on Panton and “other perpetrators.”
The FID is leading the investigation in collaboration with the police Fraud Squad, said it still has not quantified the overall fraud. But the scam is believed to be at least J$3 billion.
Norman Peart, Bolt’s former manager whose signature may have been forged, is cooperating with investigators. However, the FID said he was not a suspect.
“As the investigation progresses, we wish to assure the public that the work into unraveling this fraud is thorough and includes collaboration with local and international agencies. Various lines of inquiry are being pursued to identify all connected parties and bring them to justice,” Selvin Hay, FID’s chief technical director, said.
Selvin Hay, FID’s chief technical director
“We’ve had to be deliberate and meticulous in verifying and authenticating the information and intelligence received so far. When the matter is presented in the courts, our submissions must demonstrate clear, irrefutable evidence against all who stand accused,” Hay said.