Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Khamisi Tokunbo yesterday refused to disclose whether he has decided to prosecute anyone for involvement in pyramid schemes.

Following a lengthy investigation into the get-rich-quick schemes, Police last month passed a file to Mr. Tokunbo, who has responsibility for prosecutions.

When asked yesterday if he had reached a decision on prosecutions, Mr. Tokunbo told The Royal Gazette : "I have no comment on that''.

News of the schemes -- which promise extraordinary financial rewards for participants if they recruit a set number of others to join -- first surfaced in January.

And in February Police Commissioner Jean Jacques Lemay confirmed that he had received complaints that Police officers were involved and were promoting the schemes at the force's Prospect headquarters.

Officers were warned to stop their involvement because it brought discredit on the force.

Police released a statement saying: "The Attorney General's Chambers has expressed the view that the pyramid schemes contravene the Lotteries Act 1944 and the Criminal Code of 1905.'' In February Peter Eccles, then a senior Crown counsel in the DPP's office -- which has responsibility for prosecuting criminal matters -- gave an opinion that the schemes were illegal.

On February 10, Attorney General Dame Lois Browne-Evans revealed that Premier Jennifer Smith had asked her for an opinion which would be presented to the next weekly Cabinet meeting.

Dame Lois said the results would be made available to the media after Cabinet, but since then there has been silence.

Shadow Legislative Affairs Minister John Barritt has tried unsuccessfully in the House of Assembly to get Dame Lois to disclose what she told Cabinet about the schemes.

Police have also launched an internal disciplinary investigation to look at allegations that officers were involved in the schemes.

A Police spokeswoman last night was unable to find out what stage the internal inquiry had reached.

Khamisi Tokumbo