ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) — Minister of Justice, Delroy Chuck, says people doing prison time in Jamaica for lottery scamming could be extradited to the United States to face additional charges once their sentences are completed here.

“While the charges are similar in nature, there are other aspects to the crime why they would be wanted in the US,” Chuck pointed out.

“I think it is fair to say that the American authorities would want to connect these lotto scammers with victims in the US. If the connection is made, then I could see the US wanting to extradite these criminals to face charges,” he added.

The justice minister was speaking in an interview with JIS News at a recent justice sensitisation session in Ocho Rios.

Chuck said the ministry is committed to eradicating lottery scamming. “No quarters or no shelter should be given to scammers,” he said, adding that they are a blight on society and should be ostracised and made to pay for ruining lives.

“They have been preying on the elderly… the sick and the vulnerable. I want to say, and in the strongest language possible, that I want them to be tried in the circuit courts where they can do long sentences, and then, following that, we do everything to make them do even longer sentences in the US prisons,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chuck pointed out that a great deal of money is being spent on upgrading and modernising the courts in order to improve the delivery of justice.

“Everything has to be results-oriented and that is what we are all about in the criminal-justice system. A lot of money has been spent in training,” he said.

Chuck said he was heartened by the fact that Jamaica has some of the best judges, prosecutors and clerks of court, whom, he noted, “have been doing a very good job on the public’s behalf”.

“I am the first person to tell you that we still have a lot of work to be done. We have more courthouses to be rehabilitated and more work to ensure that cases are disposed of in a very timely manner,” he said.