Mon | May 6, 2024

Bunting questions FLA probe in Manchester

Published:Sunday | March 18, 2018 | 12:00 AMRomario Scott/Gleaner Writer
Peter Bunting

Central Manchester Member of Parliament Peter Bunting is questioning the legitimacy of an investigation by the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), surrounding allegations of the discovery of an arms-manufacturing machine in Manchester.

Yesterday, chief executive officer of the FLA, Shane Dalling, revealed that the authority was conducting a high-level investigation into several persons in the parish who had requested permits for more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition.

PUBLICITY STUNT

However, Bunting is sceptical of the move.

"I hope there is substance here ... and not so soon as (Major General Antony) Anderson has moved on from the FLA that Dalling has returned to his publicity-seeking antics," the former national security minister said on social-media site Twitter yesterday.

Reacting to a news story that police were refused entry to a property where a gun machine was allegedly being stored, Bunting questioned, "Did the FLA and/or police have a search warrant today (yesterday)?"

When contacted yesterday, Superintendent Wayne Cameron told The Gleaner that the police are not investigating the matter. He disclosed that the police only provided support for the FLA, which was the entity in charge of the operation.

"We are not involved in anything, we are not investigating anything," the senior cop said.

Gleaner sources say the Manchester resident whose property was the subject of investigations yesterday morning is a long-standing businessman who operates a shop in the parish.

romario.scott@gleanerjm.com