Come clean on FLA, Mr Bunting
THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE RECENT firestorm over the corrupt activities at the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), which led to the firing of the board, has taken on more twists than a soap opera. Needless to say, the hapless People’s National Party (PNP) has tried to make it look as if the problems started under the current Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government.
That crusade is being led by nobody other than Peter Bunting, the former national security minister, who, essentially, is claiming innocence in the matter. Investigations by media houses have painted a damning picture that shows quite clearly that the level of corruption at the FLA was most pronounced while the PNP was in power and Bunting in charge.
A document has emerged showing a number of persons who were awarded gun licences while the PNP was in power. Many were declined initially and then inexplicably awarded months later.
Those persons had problems ranging from lying on the application form through to conviction for illegal firearms. All of these persons where awarded gun licences from 2011 through 2014.
Peter Bunting needs to answer a couple of questions. Did he know, personally, of any of these matters? Did the police force not inform him about these matters? Somewhere between 2011 and 2013, the Ministry of National Security raised concerns about an individual, and by December 2013, that person was approved for a firearm. Did the minister know of that fact?
Did Bunting receive any correspondence tipping him off about the corruption that was taking place at the FLA? If so, why didn’t he do something to clean up the FLA? Was political pressure brought to bear on him to drop the entire matter?
Bunting, who has been talking all along about corruption in the present Government, needs to tell us all he knows.
FABIAN LEWIS