(Jamaica Observer) Justin Felice, the chief technical director of the Financial Investigations Division (FID), says that the reported targeting of Chinese business operators by criminals is directly related to the reluctance of some members of that community to use the banking system.
“Why are they being targeted? They drive around with cash, when they go to the wharves they pay with cash, why? Because they don’t use the banking system,” the FID head told editors and reporters at the Jamaica Observer’s weekly Monday Exchange at its Beechwood Avenue headquarters in Kingston.
“The criminals aren’t stupid; they know who to target looking for cash. So we have to educate them to put the money into the system, but they don’t want to do that because they don’t want to pay the 25 or 30 per cent tax we have to pay,” Felice said.
“Everybody should be in the tax system,” he noted.
The Observer two Sundays ago reported that criminal elements, including police personnel, have been extorting money from some Chinese business operators.
On Monday, Albert Stephens, principal director of the Financial Crimes Investigations Unit (FCIU), said although not a new, the issue spells bad for Jamaica.
“We have a growing Chinese population in Jamaica and most of them have their own businesses and they employ a lot of persons, [and] they are being targeted. It has been going on for some time but it is just now being reported. These are the things that deter people from investing in the country,” he noted.
Following the publication, Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington said that the police had initiated dialogue with members of the local Chinese community, especially those who operate businesses, to get a better understanding of the particular vulnerabilities of this group and to effect measures to protect Chinese persons and their business interests in Jamaica.
“We are aware that certain criminal elements target Chinese business operators, and up to recently there have been unconfirmed reports of corrupt police personnel extorting money from some Chinese nationals. The consultations and co-operation in protecting the Chinese community from criminal elements have had positive results, but there is much more that can be achieved,” Ellington said. He said all cases of crimes against Chinese nationals, which have been reported to the police, have been investigated with arrests made in some.
He said in a recent case, swift action by the police resulted in the arrest and charge of the robbery suspects, one of whom turned out to be a member of the Island Special Constabulary Force. An illegal firearm was also seized.
But he said the investigation was stalled after the victims failed to attend the identification parade and co-operate with investigators.
In the meantime, the police have urged the business persons to, among other things, “avoid large cash transactions or on-person conveyance of large volumes of cash between home and work. Use courier services for cash movement and seek assistance from the local police,” who have “been authorised by the Police High Command to give assistance”.
“Jamaica has a well-developed and stable banking and financial system; use it. It is safe and it reduces your vulnerability significantly,” he said.
