By Lynford Simpson, Staff ReporterTHE POLICE Fraud Squad is investigating more than 50 cases of fraud at the National Land Agency (NLA), according to Elizabeth Stair, chief executive officer of the NLA.
She was speaking with reporters yesterday, shortly after a sitting of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) where she had outlined the problems facing the agency and the steps being taken to solve them.
She said irregularities were usually detected "whenever a title is brought to our attention that has a fraudulent transfer or endorsement. We do some investigations in-house and then we pass on those investigations to the Fraud Squad, as well as the Financial Crimes Unit for them to take further action if necessary," the CEO explained.
She said that in one instance last year, someone took a fraudulent title to the NLA for processing. On closer examination it was discovered that the title was not prepared by the NLA. "We called the police and there was an arrest," Mrs. Stair said.
Since March, 2002, 57 cases of suspected fraud have been sent to the Fraud Squad for investigation.
Meanwhile, the NLA is contemplating the introduction of an express service to improve the turn-around time for processing titles. Mrs. Stair refused to give a date for the introduction of the service and said no fee had been decided on.
PAC member Delroy Chuck, of the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), cautioned against introducing an express service when so many other areas of the NLA's operations were inefficient.
"I don't believe that we are ever going to get a system where nobody complains because there are some transactions which are so troublesome that they will take time," Mr. Chuck said.
Yesterday, Mrs. Stair admitted the NLA, which was made an executive agency on April 1, 2001, was still dependent on Government for a monthly subvention.
"We're looking at the fees in the agency generally. We are not really self-sufficient; we are allowed to keep 50 per cent of what we earn, but we still receive a subvention from the Ministry of Finance every month."
