Integrity Commission flags FLA ammunition gaps and licensing irregularities

The Integrity Commission’s investigation into the Firearm Licensing Authority was placed before Parliament on Tuesday, detailing weaknesses in the agency’s controls over licences, firearms records and ammunition storage.

The probe, which started in 2021 and ran for several years, reviewed claims of corruption, poor management, weak oversight, improper licensing practices and flaws in how firearms and ammunition were secured. According to the report, investigators found gaps in accountability, problems with the licensing process and ammunition that could not be traced.

The commission said firearms that had been set aside for destruction were all accounted for. However, it found that at least 190 rounds of .22 ammunition were missing from the FLA’s main vault.

The report also criticised the agency’s inventory practices. It said only about 17 per cent of recorded entries were verified, while checks uncovered issues such as damaged or deteriorating storage bags and inadequate recordkeeping.

Investigators further concluded that the FLA’s licence management system had been improperly altered. In one instance, inaccurate information was placed on a dealer’s account without the dealer asking for it or giving approval. Another set of transactions showed thousands of rounds of ammunition listed as bought by people who either denied making the purchases or, in one case, had already died at the time of the recorded transaction.

The commission found that the FLA was acting within its legal authority when it revoked some firearm licences connected to the matters under review. On allegations of corruption by staff members, however, investigators said they did not have enough evidence to make firm findings.

The report calls for swift changes at the authority, including better storage arrangements, tighter control over data entered in the licensing system and a proper data backup structure. It also recommends a full independent audit of every FLA vault to establish how much ammunition is unaccounted for and to improve oversight.