KINGSTON, Jamaica — Debate on the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) Bill failed to start in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Leader of the House, Derrick Smith, told OBSERVER ONLINE that the start of the debate was delayed due to the absence of Minister of National Security, Robert Montague from the island.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness had promised to speak in the debate on Tuesday, when he updated the media on the movement of the Bill in answering questions at his press briefing last Thursday at Jamaica House.

The Bill is likely to be debated in the House of Representatives next Tuesday. It provides for the establishment of statutory law enforcement body, to be known as the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, with operational independence and authority in combatting serious crimes, in collaboration with local and foreign enforcement agencies and strategic partners.

The agency will have a dedicated, specialised team of investigators, and will investigate and prosecute complex cases.

Balford Henry