Couple spends mystery money on fertility treatment

A civil servant and her husband spent more than $3.5 million, which was wrongly deposited in their bank accounts, on IVF treatment to help them conceive a child.

The couple, whose identity will not be shared by this publication, stumbled upon the sum in their bank account. The money was mistakenly transferred by the Accountant General's Department. The couple reportedly waited two months before using the funds to cover rounds of IVF treatment. It is unclear whether the fertility treatment worked.

On Wednesday, the couple were brought before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court to answer to the charge of simple larceny.

They were admonished and discharged by Senior Parish Judge Sanchia Burrell after it was disclosed that the money was repaid.

"I don't think you are criminals, I just think you are foolish," said Burrell, who had some harsh words for the couple.

"I hope you are ashamed. You shoulda shame like dog. One of you is a civil servant and the other is involved in the manufacturing [sector], you should've known better. But we have this thing in Jamaica to say 'finders keepers'. You know what you did was wrong," the senior jurist said before discharging the couple.