THE Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has stepped up its call for the Government to reconsider the appointment of Dennis Chung as the head of the Financial Investigations Division (FID), with claims that he is compromised and not qualified for the post.

The PNP has also given the Government 72 hours to rescind the decision or face islandwide action.

“Whoever is the chief technical director of the FID must be somebody who is not perceived as having any particular political affiliation or bias and we feel strongly that the appointment of Dennis Chung is itself an act which will further corruption in the country,” declared Opposition Leader Mark Golding at a media briefing on Thursday.

According to Golding, Chung has already publicly stated positions in relation to the matters that the FID ought to be investigating, “and which seek to undermine or belittle the impact and importance of the findings that the Integrity Commission (IC) has made,” said Golding.

He was referring to comments made by Chung in the wake of the commission’s report into the finances of Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

The report raised several red flags about the prime minister’s accounts and referred the matter for additional investigations by the FID.

Chung, in his capacity of a public commentator, questioned the findings of the IC and defended the actions of the prime minister.

On Wednesday, Golding charged that Chung has publicly sought to take a position that has led to the impression that there was nothing amiss, there was no case to answer by Holness and everything was above board.

“He clearly is a biased person on this matter; he clearly would have a conflict leading the FID to investigate this matter. That is why we’re saying he should resign that position if he’s accepted it, or the appointment should be rescinded and revoked forthwith,” said Golding.

“It is too vital to Jamaica’s democracy and the rule of law in our county, that what will be the most important and significant investigation by the FID in its history should not be led by somebody who has taken a position on key issues that are the substance of that investigation; positions that are in favour of the prime minister, as opposed to positions which the FID ought to be investigating in a non-biased, non-partisan way.

“We’re totally opposed to this appointment, we feel this appointment is itself a corrupt act because it’s furthering what we believe is going to be an attempted cover-up of this matter,” Golding added.

In the meantime, Opposition spokesperson on Justice Senator Donna Scott-Mottley argued that the investigation into the finances of Holness is the most consequential matter which has happened to the country since Independence.

“Never before in the history of Jamaica have we had a prime minister under investigation for corruption,” charged Scott-Mottley during the media briefing.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding believes Chung is compromised.

Adding his voice to the call PNP spokesman on finance and the public service Julian Robinson pointed out that Jamaica has, over many years, developed a strong reputation of having institutional integrity.

According to Robinson, Jamaica’s anti-corruption framework, from the IC to the FID are staffed by people with extensive backgrounds in law enforcement, financial crimes, anti-money laundering, and similar areas.

“This is the first time that an individual, while having general accounting and management experience, would be leading the FID without specific investigative experience,” said Robinson as he argued that it is important that the credibility of Jamaica’s investigation of financial crimes be maintained.

“Putting Dennis Chung there, I believe, threatens that credibility,” said Robinson, who described the appointment as a retrograde step.

That was a position shared by the party’s spokesman on national security Senator Peter Bunting, who charged that based on his qualifications Chung is a “weak and unsuitable candidate for this post”.

Meanwhile PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell warned that the party was prepared to protest against the appointment of Chung.

“We are giving this Government 72 hours to rescind this appointment and if they do not rescind it there will be actions all over Jamaica,” Campbell warned without elaborating.