Integrity Commission report on FLA ammunition controls tabled in Parliament

Parliament has tabled the Integrity Commission’s investigative report into the Firearm Licensing Authority, after weeks of controversy over the delay in making the document public. The 131-page report examines allegations of corruption, impropriety and irregularities involving firearm licences, licence variations and revocations, and the handling of firearms and ammunition at the FLA.

The report says the investigation began after the commission received information alleging wrongdoing in the storage of weapons and ammunition, as well as in the issuing and removal of licences. It found accountability problems connected to ammunition kept in the FLA’s main vault at its headquarters, along with wider governance concerns.

Among its recommendations, the commission said the FLA should, if it has not already done so, address the weaknesses around ammunition storage in the main vault. It also recommended that the agency ensure its servers are properly maintained and that a backup server is in place, given the sensitivity of its operations.

The Director of Investigation also recommended that the Ministry of National Security and Peace commission a full independent audit of all FLA vaults. The aim, the report said, is to determine the extent of any missing ammunition and confirm that all firearms listed in official records are properly accounted for.

Attorney-at-law Clyde Williams said the Integrity Commission Act should be amended to set a clear deadline for tabling such reports once Parliament receives them. He argued that formal tabling does not require debate or committee referral, and warned that vague timing rules could allow a parliamentary majority to delay reports that may be politically damaging.

Political commentator Dr. Nadine Spence cautioned that any reform should consider the principle of parliamentary discretion. She said Parliament must be allowed space to exercise its constitutional role, while still acting transparently and within the law.

The report also refers to allegations involving firearm dealer John Elliott Gun Shop, Kent Brown and former FLA senior compliance officer Ellsworth Collum. It says one bribery allegation could not be resolved because John Elliott died shortly after the investigation began. However, it found enough basis for an observer to believe Brown may have been targeted through questionable entries on the FLA’s electronic system.