Opposition calls for resignation of FLA CEO over Integrity Commission report

The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is calling for the immediate resignation of Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) Chief Executive Officer Shane Dalling following the tabling of an Integrity Commission report, which the party says exposed systemic corruption, falsified government records, and failures of accountability within the agency.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Opposition said the report identified several serious concerns under Dalling’s leadership.

The 131-page report, which was tabled in Parliament late Tuesday, uncovered the intentional manipulation of official digital records, inventory management failures, and the loss of critical electronic evidence following a server failure.

According to the report, an employee falsified electronic records to target a prominent licensed dealer when he, among other things, logged that a dead man had purchased ammunition.

The report, among other things, highlighted accountability concerns regarding the storage of ammunition at the FLA’s main vault at its headquarters, along with broader governance issues.

Opposition Spokesperson on National Security Fitz Jackson described the findings as more than simple administrative failures.

“This is not mismanagement. This is a fundamental breakdown of law, order and public trust at the very agency responsible for regulating deadly weapons in Jamaica,” Jackson said.

“No CEO who presides over falsified records, missing ammunition and conveniently destroyed evidence should remain in post for another day,” he added.

The PNP also called on Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang to take what it described as decisive action, arguing that recent indications that the FLA is tightening firearm and ammunition storage and operational procedures do not go far enough.

According to the Opposition, procedural changes cannot replace accountability, warning that retaining the current CEO would suggest government complicity in what it described as serious failures within the organisation.

The party is also demanding a comprehensive and fully independent investigation into all matters outlined in the Integrity Commission report and has called for the findings to be made public.

The Opposition argued that the issues identified undermine confidence in both the FLA and the Government’s management of critical national security institutions.

“Public trust and confidence cannot be sacrificed for loyalty to any individual,” the statement said.

The PNP maintained that Dalling should step aside and insisted that the full truth surrounding the findings contained in the report must emerge.

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