KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Integrity Action (NIA) says the resignation of the Board of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) is not enough and more decisive action is required from the organisation.

Executive Director of the NIA, Trevor Munroe outlined several recommendations to the FLA in a release today.

He said current investigations being carried out by the Office of the Contractor General, the Major Organise Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) and the Justice Seymour Panton Review Board should be thorough but “speedily” concluded.

Munroe said public interest requires full disclosure of findings, particularly relating to the identities, dates and circumstances surrounding the granting of any firearms licenses to persons with adverse intelligence “traces”. 

In order to improve citizen security, the FLA should ensure that no gun license is issued to suspected scammers and individuals with security “traces”, he argued.

The NIA executive director also recommended that firearm licenses determined in the investigations as unjustifiably or illegally issued should be withdrawn and prosecutions given priority where there is evidence of persons, at whatever level in the FLA, having issued such licenses in a corrupt or unlawful fashion.

The integrity organisation is calling for the amendment of laws to remove what it calls “ partisan political influences”  from appointments to the FLA Board .

The amended legislation, Munroe argued, should involve the Electoral Commission of Jamaica and empower the governor general to make appointments after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the Opposition.

The NIA recommended that appointees be drawn from retired judges of the Supreme and/or Appeal Courts and independent persons of undisputed integrity, taking into account recommendations from stakeholders such as the Firearms Dealers Association.