Montague, Bunting, FLA board in questionable gun runnings, says Integrity Commission

Two former ministers of national security, the Jamaica Labour Party’s Robert Montague and the People’s National Party’s Peter Bunting, have been identified by the Integrity Commission as allowing people of questionable character to be issued with firearms licences.

In a “Special Report of Investigation Allegations Concerning Acts of Impropriety, Irregularity and Corruption in the Issuance of Firearm User Licences to Persons of ‘Questionable Character’,” released to the media by Parliament last night, the commission also bashed two former boards of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) and suggested that a former deputy chairman, Dennis Meadows, could face charges for his role in the granting of a firearms license to a relative.

“It is the DI‟s (director of investigations) opinion that the 2012 and 2016 FLA Boards acted ultra vires in its denial and subsequent approval of firearm user licence applications as the appeal of decisions of the FLA Board should be made to the Review Board, pursuant to Section 37 of the Firearm Act,” the report said.

“The DI concludes that the facilitation of an expedited process for applications submitted by Members of Parliament and/or other public officials or private citizens is highly irregular and is a corruption enabling conduit,” added the report.

In a summary of the questionable approval of firearm licences the commission said:

1) Firearm user licences were granted to individuals who were convicted for drug-related offences in at least 13 instances.

2) Firearm user licences were granted to individuals who were convicted for lottery scamming and/or fraudulent offences in at least four instances.

3. Firearm user licences were denied and subsequently granted to individuals who were convicted for violent crimes in at least seven instances.

4. Firearm user licences were denied and subsequently granted to individuals who were convicted for the offence of illegal possession of firearm in at least three instances.

5. Firearm user licences were denied and subsequently granted to individuals who were convicted for otherwise breaching the Firearms Act in at least one instance.

6. Firearm user licences were denied and subsequently granted to individuals who were convicted for other illegal activities in at least five instances.

7. Firearm user licences were denied and subsequently granted to individuals who the FLA investigator stated to be involved in drug related offences, in at least 10 instances.

8. Firearm user licences were denied and subsequently granted to individuals who the FLA Investigator stated were involved in lottery scamming and/or fraudulent offences, in at least 10 instances.

9. Firearm user licences were denied and subsequently granted to individuals who the FLA investigator stated were involved in violent crimes, in at least six instances.

10. Firearm user licences were denied and subsequently granted to at least two individuals who the FLA Investigator stated were arrested for the offence of illegal possession of firearm.

11. Firearm user licences were denied and subsequently granted to individuals who the FLA investigator stated were involved in other illegal activities, in at least 10 instances.

The commission noted that for security purposes it has withheld the names of all firearm user licensees and applicants that have been withheld and were classified by the director of investigation.

The commission further reported that six applicants whose firearm user licence applications were denied by the FLA Board were subsequently approved on appeal by Montague when he was in charge of the security ministry from February 2016 to February 2018.

In the meantime, the report said Bunting allowed the appeal of two people of questionable character but denied that he was pressured by fellow Members of Parliament to speed up applications for gun licences for individuals.