FLA summoned to appear before parliamentary committee

The leadership of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) is to be summoned to appear before a committee of Parliament that is seeking to examine the operations of the agency.

The decision by the Internal and External Affairs Committee of Parliament, taken during a meeting at Gordon House this morning, comes more than a year after it was revealed that the FLA approved scores of gun licences for persons of questionable character.

The leadership of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the Jamaica Defence Force and Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) have also been summoned to appear before the committee.

Police and military leaders are expected to appear before the committee on September 25 to discuss the ongoing states of public emergency and Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO) in selected police divisions. 

The leadership of the FLA and MOCA are scheduled to appear before the committee early next month.

Committee member Horace Dalley, who requested the appearance of MOCA, said there are “some outstanding issues we would like to ask about.” 

Committee chairman Fitz Jackson noted that the operations of the FLA have implications for national security, asserting that the agency “has been of concern to many Jamaicans.”

“I believe we should invite the FLA and associated agencies to make an examination of their operations,” Jackson said.

He noted that the first state of public emergency that was imposed in St James has been in place since January and suggested that the nation needs to be updated on what has been taking place.

“What are some of the challenges being faced? What are some of the successes we have achieved and to make recommendations to the House as to how that issue could be improved going forward,” Jackson underscored.

The second state of public emergency was imposed in the St Catherine North Police Division in March. 

The first ZOSO was declared in Mount Salem, St James on September 1 last year.

The second was declared in the west Kingston community of Denham Town on October 17, 2017.

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