MoBay woman left desperate after court appearance

AMontego Bay woman who appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Thursday, hoping to get back monies fleeced from her, was left disappointed.

“Your Honour, I don’t even think I can come back to court. I don’t even have fare to go back to MoBay,” the disappointed complainant said openly in court. The complainant is one of more than 30 individuals seeking to retrieve monies they had paid over to fraud accused Jamaal Black, who allegedly scammed millions from job seekers, under the guise that he was an overseas job recruiting officer. He reportedly requested a minimum of $150,000 to process visa applications and work permits.

Black reportedly told his victims that he had an overseas travel agency and that he could provide employment opportunities for interested Jamaicans. He urged interested applicants to either visit an office he operated from in the Corporate Area, where they could make their payments in cash, or make payments via bank transfer.

However, when Black failed to deliver on his promise, he was arrested and charged on a 28count indictment for obtaining money by means of false pretence, and on eight counts of operating an employment agency without a licence.

“I spent over $5,000 just to travel to be here,” the Montego Bay woman explained to Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque, who revoked Black’s bail, having noted the complainant’s frustration.

“I have sensed the frustration boiling, boiling, boiling,” the senior jurist said in responding to the desperation expressed by the complainant.

In explaining her decision to revoke Black’s bail, she said he showed up in court without the monies for compensation, despite the assurance he had given to investigators from both the Half-Way Tree and Westmoreland Criminal Investigation Branches, who were present in court to lay additional charges against him.

“Your Honour, I have maxed out my card and my mother went into hospital late last night,” said Black, in an unsuccessful bid to be allowed to stay out of lock-up on bail.

Black was remanded in custody until April 3, when he is slated to return to court.