Robert Hart, Parliamentary Reporter
Golding
OPPOSITION LEADER Bruce Golding has called on the Government to reveal the findings of an investigation into allegations of the corrupt issuance of firearm licences.
Mr. Golding, speaking during Wednesday's parliamentary debate on amendments to the Firearms Act, told the House of Representatives that the results of the investigation remained an outstanding issue.
"I think the Government and the police have a responsibility to inform the public what were the findings of those investigations, and based on those findings, what action has been taken," Mr. Golding insisted.
"The information that we have indicates not only that firearm licences were issued to persons who were strongly suspected, on the basis of police intelligence, to be involved in illegal activities including narco-trafficking, but that in some instances they were issued as many as five or six licences," the Opposition Leader said.
Mr. Golding said he wanted to know if there had been any disciplinary or criminal charges laid against the policemen involved in the issuing of the licences. He also asked if any licences for firearms had been revoked.
CONCERNS
"We can't proceed without bringing to some sort of closure, the concerns that were out there," he added.
The Opposition Leader pointed out that in 2002, Opposition spokesman on National Security, Derrick Smith, supplied then Commissioner of Police Francis Forbes with a list of persons suspected of receiving firearm licences illegally.
Mr. Smith had supplied the police commissioner with four names and it was also reported at the time that several persons with shady backgrounds, including entertainers and deportees, had been granted gun licences.
Mr. Forbes had indicated plans to submit a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Kent Pantry, Q.C., to be advised whether criminal action or internal disciplinary action should be taken against any policeman found responsible.
However, there are no reports that any action was taken.
In November 2001, Mr. Forbes instructed the Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate the circumstances under which Oliver Irons, one of the suspects arrested in connection with the seizure of more than 40,000 rounds of ammunition and illegal possession of firearms, came to be in possession of nine firearm licences.
