Investigations into the multimillion-dollar fraud case at Air Jamaica have been grounded for more than two weeks as the Fraud Squad awaits legal assistance from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Early last month, it was revealed that a junior Air Jamaica employee allegedly swindled more than $70-million from the floundering national carrier.

At the time, the airline announced that the Jamaica Constabulary Force's (JCF) Fraud Squad was a part of a high-level team of local and international authorities investigating the fraudulent transfer.

Overseas angle

Superintendent Colbert Edwards, head of the Fraud Squad, told The Gleaner on Wednesday that the investigation might soon be soaring to new heights.

The senior officer disclosed that the JCF is preparing to take its probe overseas and, as such, sought the legal expertise of the DPP to secure the requisite mutual legal assistance treaty.

The file was delivered to the office of the DPP on April 8. Supt Edwards explained that local police officers cannot pursue the case on foreign soil without permission from the relevant authorities in the host country.

Gleaner sources said the office of the DPP is dealing with the treaty but added that it takes time to finalise this kind of legal agreement.

The highly placed source said the treaty is needed because the employee suspected of fleecing the airline is believed to be overseas, which means he is outside the jurisdiction of the JCF.

The source added that the fraudulently transferred funds are also believed to be outside the jurisdiction of the local authorities.

Freezing of the funds is one action that would be facilitated under the mutual assistance treaty, according to the source.

Still pending

Bruce Nobles, president and CEO of Air Jamaica, was terse with his responses, providing only one-word answers to questions posed by The Gleaner.

In March, when he made the damning revelation about the fraudulent transfer of the funds, Nobles said that the airline would "be prepared to speak in a more comprehensive manner when reports from the various authorities which are investigating the matter are completed".

Those reports, he said, have not been completed.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com