The People’s National Party (PNP) has called for the removal of Shane Dalling as head of the country’s Firearms Licensing Authority (FLA). 

The PNP in a release today said, “the Opposition has observed with concern the allegations and counter-allegations of corruption traded between two JLP operatives, both with intimate knowledge of the operations of the Firearms Licensing Authority under the JLP administration. While it is difficult to discern the entire truth without the report of an independent investigation, it is now clear to the public that the FLA has become a cesspool of corruption over the last six years”.

As such, Shadow Minister for National Security, Peter Bunting is urging the Minister of National Security and the Board of the FLA to “remove Mr Dalling as CEO”.

According to Mr Bunting, “Mr Dalling has a penchant for alarming statements to the media, ranging from the “discovery” of a gun-making machine which turned out to be a regular machine tool to his repeatedly “calling in MOCA” to investigate various allegations of corruption. The public is not aware of a single successful prosecution (or even arrest) arising from any of these multiple disclosures”.

In addition, the party is also calling on the Integrity Commission to complete the investigation into corruption in the issuance of firearms licenses by the FLA. The investigation which was launched by the Office of the Contractor General in 2017 “was derailed by the government prematurely bringing into effect the new Integrity Commission Act” Bunting claims. 

The Shadow Minister is calling on the government to prioritise the investigation and the tabling of the report to Parliament.