The National Integrity Action (NIA) is joining the call for a probe into the allegations of impropriety at the Firearms Licensing Authority (FLA).

The call was initially made by Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ).

The agencies want the Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency and the Integrity Commission to conduct the probe.

In a statement yesterday (February 21), the NIA said the probe must indicate who received the permits.

In addition, it said agency officials involved must be prosecuted for any breach of law.

The NIA noted that the FLA is in breach of the Public Bodies Management Accountability Act, as well as the Firearms Act.

According to the NIA, the FLA failed to submit reports to the Cabinet on time.

It said the Office of the Cabinet records show that the last report submitted by the FLA was for the year 2016/2017 and that this was only submitted in June 2020.

According to the NIA, the FLA has been in breach of the Firearms Act and the Public Bodies Management Accountability Act, which imposes a similar obligation for the years 2017/ 2018, 2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, that is, for four years without any sanction being applied.

The NIA is also calling on the Attorney General, as provided for in the Public Bodies Management Accountability Act to apply to the court to impose sanctions on the persons in the directorate of the authority responsible for contravening the provisions in the law to submit annual reports and audited financial statements in the time required.

The Integrity Action said the outrage whereby the FLA, along with more than one hundred public bodies remain in breach of this basic requirement for transparency and accountability under the law cannot be allowed to continue.

It noted that sanctions must be applied to these prominent and well-connected people in high places if Jamaicans are to reverse the belief that the law applies only to “small people”.