Police still have not charged anyone in connection with the close to two hundred thousand dollars that was fleeced from the Government Treasury. Investigations by the Accountant General Dorothy Bradley point to second class clerk Monica Escarpeta who worked at the Treasury Department for six years.
But information suggests that she did not work alone; and two other persons are being sought for questioning, they are Karen Young and Rhea Pennil – who reportedly live in the same general area as Escarpeta on Faber’s Road Extension. The investigation by the Accountant General and the Financial Intelligence Unit suggests that these persons did the leg work on the commercial banking side of the scam where fraudulent pension payments would be transferred into accounts and withdrawals would be made.
It took place steadily over at least a two year span – but that’s not necessarily the end of it; as the Financial secretary Joe Waight told us the total figure fleeced seems to continue to rise; his words were, quote: “where it will reach I can’t say...every half day the news gets a little more disturbing” And what we found disturbing day is that when we asked the investigating officer from the police serious crimes unit Inspector Sinquest Martinez when charges would be brought, asked told us that quote, “we have nothing on Monica Escarpeta.”
Stunning, right? Especially since the Prime Minister, The Financial Secretary, and the Accountant General have all pointed at her. Additionally the public service commission suspended her pending an investigation. So do all those maximum authorities have it wrong? Martinez told us that everyone has to be more patient and wait for the whole story to flesh itself out. Martinez refused to discuss when charges will be brought or who is currently detained.
And one final note, the Atlantic Bank where some of the fraudulent pensions were deposited, today sent out a release stressing that the Karen Young whose name has been called in connection with the investigation is not bank employee Karen Elizabeth Young who is presently an senior supervisor and has been working there for 15 years.
