Human rights advocacy group, Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), says it is outraged by the damning allegations that have come to light about the issuing of gun licences by the Firearm Licencing Authority (FLA) to individuals of questionable character with alleged ties to criminality, including organised crime.

In a statement on Friday (February 18), JFJ contended that even more shocking, is the “alleged involvement of a former high-ranking government official and the purported inaction, almost scant regard, from the responsible ministry in tackling the longstanding issue”.

According to JFJ, while the current allegations made by the top brass of the FLA echoes similar claims levelled against the state agency in 2017, the regularity of these allegations “is suggestive of a larger issue” at the troubled armament entity.

The lobby group is taking the Andrew Holness-led Government to task for failing to act, which it contended, further undermines efforts to bring Jamaica’s runaway crime problem under control.

The matter is all the more concerning as minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) with responsibility for Information, Robert Nesta Morgan said that he “has not seen any statement by anyone in Government that has raised questions about the integrity of the competence and leadership of the FLA”.

“Invariably, if there are no questions in the Government, then obviously there is no reason [for] a lack of confidence,” Morgan argued further in an interview with Nationwide News on Friday.

Bemoaning the ‘cyclical madness’ of the FLA and those appointed to run the authority, Jamaicans for Justice is calling on both the Integrity Commission and the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) to step in and investigate the alleged acts of impropriety.

“The probe must indicate who received the permits, and the permits subsequently revoked. In addition, agency officials involved must be prosecuted. Justice requires action if the cycle of corruption and links to criminality are to be broken,” the JFJ indicated.

FLA chief executive officer Shane Dalling, in a press conference on Tuesday, revealed that over 200 illegal gun licences were granted over to persons with a criminal record, including entertainer Jah Cure and an unnamed ‘Corporate Area don’.

Dalling also chided former FLA deputy chairman Dennis Meadows for being among a group ‘hell-bent’ on undermining his authority, an accusation Meadows has denied vehemently.

See statement below:

“Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) is outraged by the damning allegations that have come to light about the issuing of gun licences by the Firearms Licencing Authority (FLA) to individuals of questionable character with alleged ties to criminality, including organised crime. Even more shocking, is the alleged involvement of a former high-ranking government official and the purported inaction, almost scant regard, from the responsible ministry in tackling the longstanding issue.

The current allegations made by the FLA leadership echoes similar allegations levelled against the state agency in 2017. The regularity of these allegations is suggestive of a larger issue at the FLA. Not only has the state failed to act, but the allegations levelled undermine legitimate crime-fighting efforts, contributing to the lack of trust within society that fuels the crime monster.

A case in point is the recent revelation by former deputy chairman of the FLA, who by his own admission, stated he had knowledge of an acquaintance allegedly bribing an official to secure a firearm licence.

One has to ask the questions, what is expected of our public officials when such an affront to our laws are known to them? Is there an obligation to report?

For years, JFJ has maintained that successive administrations have failed to wholesomely tackle crime including, targeting the highly connected or the powerful behind the criminal networks. JFJ contends that among the reasons criminals and criminality continue to thrive, is in part because those in authority have not had the desire or the will to take the necessary steps to deal with the corruption.

We believe far too often reviews are conducted, reports written, with little done to bring resolve to these matters. Instead, the focus has been on ‘Band-Aid-driven’ public relations measures. JFJ strongly condemns what can only be described as ‘state-sanctioned criminality’ where public officials are involved in issuing gun permits to known criminals. Unfortunately, this is a longstanding issue plaguing the FLA with very little change over the years. The operation of the agency amounts to ‘cyclical madness’ as the same problems persist despite a change in leadership, suggestive of a systemic problem.

JFJ calls for urgent probe and comprehensive reform

This latest series of events speaks to the wider of issue of how state boards are appointed. The time has come for the FLA to be completely removed from executive control, with the agency being a body of Parliament, and board members appointed by the Governor-General, following consultation with both the Leader of Opposition and the Prime Minister.

JFJ calls for the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) and the Integrity Commission to immediately conduct a probe into the allegations of impropriety at the agency. The probe
must indicate who received the permits, and the permits subsequently revoked. In addition, agency officials involved must be prosecuted. Justice requires action if the cycle of corruption and links to criminality are to be broken.”

• READ MORE: ‘A cesspool of corruption’: PNP calls for Dalling to resign from FLA