Let me start by saying that I like Dennis Chung. I believe he is a good chartered accountant and excels at corporate governance. His work at the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has to be lauded.

But I fail to see how the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and Chung himself do not realise that he is not qualified for the position of chief technical director of the Financial Investigations Division (FID).

Every person who has held this position prior has had some form of investigative experience. Why is this experience necessary, you may ask? This is why.

To the public’s knowledge, Chung has never conducted an investigation, nor has he ever prosecuted an investigation.  This is not a skill you learn on the back of a matchbook. This skill is honed from years of experience.

Further, to the public’s knowledge, Chung has never dealt with witnesses or confidential informants. He is not a forensic accountant, nor has he had experience with the laws relevant to financial crimes. Any reasonable person would consider this a basic requirement for the position.

To say that Mr Chung does not need investigative experience to run the Financial Investigations Division is the equivalent of saying that the governor of the Bank of Jamaica does not need to have banking experience. Or the director of public prosecutions does not need to have prosecutorial experience. Such appointments would be considered ludicrous. Yet neither the JLP nor Mr Chung seem to be able to understand this.

Finally, how does Mr Chung lead and command the respect of a team when he has no fundamental understanding or experience of how his staff perform their jobs? I find it hard to believe that there is no qualified person with enforcement experience who could excel in this essential role.

I get it—those in power get to put who they want in a position. But at least make the person qualified on paper. Is that too much to ask?

Andrew Holness calls this ‘bad mind’. Sir, get off your high horse. Your arrogance is going to cost the JLP the election. Every time the public questions your decision, it is not ‘bad mind’. Be quiet for a minute and listen to what the people are complaining about. It is not all about constructing high-rise buildings and delivering water.

The head of the FID is an essential law enforcement position for an industry which has international implications. This is not a game of pin the tail on the donkey.

If this position strictly involved corporate governance, I am all for Chung’s appointment, but that is not the case here. For this post, Chung does not have the skill set. A man like Dennis Chung should be able to look within himself and admit that.