KINGSTON, Jamaica — Former Security Minister Peter Bunting is calling for the removal of Shane Dalling as CEO of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), for what he cites as “poor performance”.

In a release on Thursday, the Opposition spokesperson on National Security said the FLA needs sober and competent leadership to restore the integrity of the entity and to regain the confidence of local law enforcement, international partners, and the public.

This is after Dalling accused a former minister of national security of labelling him an alarmist when he tried to raise attention to the corruption at the gun licensing company.

Dalling, at a press conference on Tuesday, said nefarious characters with big stakes in the guns and ammunition business, including some firearm dealers, have been plotting against him and have made numerous attempts to have him ousted from his position.

READ: Dalling cites rift between some gun dealers and FLA

READ: FLA FEUD

In calling for Dalling’s removal, Bunting has also requested that a thorough investigation be done on the entity.

“The Opposition has observed with concern the allegations and counter-allegations of corruption traded between two JLP operatives, both with intimate knowledge of the operations of the Firearms Licensing Authority under the JLP administration.

“While it is difficult to discern the entire truth without the report of an independent investigation, it is now clear to the public that the FLA has become a cesspool of corruption over the last six years,” the PNP said.

According to the release from the People’s National Party, Dalling, in particular, should be removed by the Minister of National Security and the FLA board in light of his own admission that he cannot fix the troubling issues plaguing the entity.  

“Further evidence of poor governance and non-performance of the FLA’s CEO is the fact that the controversy riddled entity has not even submitted an Annual Report to Cabinet (as per the Cabinet Office website updated 02/2022) since 2016/17,” the party explained.

It added that the Integrity Commission should complete the investigation into corruption in the issuance of firearms licences by the FLA which was launched by the Office of the Contractor General in 2017, but was derailed by the government prematurely bringing into effect the new Integrity Commission Act, “even though no transitional arrangements had been made for its operations”.  

“While the Opposition is aware of the limited investigative resources available to the Integrity Commission, it is imperative that — given the threat to national security — this investigation be prioritised, and the report submitted to Parliament as soon as possible,” it continued.

“Mr Dalling has a penchant for alarming statements to the media ranging, from the ‘discovery’ of a gun-making machine which turned out to be a regular machine tool, to his repeatedly ‘calling in MOCA’ to investigate various allegations of corruption.  The public is not aware of a single successful prosecution (or even arrest) arising from any of these multiple disclosures,” Bunting added.