Opposition Chief Mark Golding has declared that the Folks’s Nationwide Social gathering (PNP) is “completely opposed” to the appointment of chartered accountant and monetary commentator Dennis Chung as Chief Technical Director of the Monetary Investigations Division (FID).
Chung, who’s presently the Common Secretary of the Jamaica Soccer Federation (JFF) and served on a number of Authorities boards, is to take up the position on June 2, 2025.
Talking at a PNP press convention on Thursday, Golding stated Chung’s earlier remarks on the Integrity Fee’s (IC) report into Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ statutory declaration ought to disqualify him (Chung) from taking on the position on the FID.
The IC had beneficial the report back to the FID and Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) to look at elements of the prime minister’s monetary affairs.
In September of final 12 months, the FID stated it could undertake a complete evaluation of the IC’s report that had been tabled in Parliament earlier that month.
The FID, which operates below the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, is charged with combating monetary crimes, in addition to asset restoration below the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Golding opined that the “most necessary and vital investigation” within the FID’s historical past “shouldn’t be led by anyone who has taken a place on key points which might be the substance of that investigation,” which the division ought to be probing in a “non-biased, non-partisan method”.
On that rating, he stated: “The PNP thought it essential to name the press convention to state for the document, that we’re completely against this appointment.”
Chung had raised questions on conclusions that he stated had been made within the IC report relative to the prime minister’s statutory declarations.
In keeping with Golding, these positions and different relative remarks by Chung would make him have a “battle” in main the FID to probe the matter if the FID accepts the IC’s suggestion.
“That’s the reason we’re saying he (Chung) ought to resign that place, if he’s accepted it, or the appointment ought to be rescinded and revoked forthwith,” the PNP president declared.
In pointing to the historical past of the people tasked with main the FID, Opposition Spokesman on Finance, Julian Robinson, stated these individuals have had in depth backgrounds in legislation enforcement, monetary crimes and anti-money laundering investigations.
“That is the primary time that a person, whereas having common accounting and administration expertise, could be main the FID with out particular investigative expertise,” he instructed.
“The place is Chief Technical Director, and folks would possibly say, ‘Sure, there are individuals inside the organisation who might have the technical experience’, however this place requires somebody who has that particular experience, and it’s important for us to take care of the credibility of the nation’s investigation of monetary crimes,” added Robinson.
He additionally agreed with the PNP president’s name for Chung’s appointment to be rescinded, or for the accountant to not settle for it.
For his half, Opposition Spokesman on Citizen Safety, Senator Peter Bunting, stated he reached out to “an authority on monetary crimes” and requested the person to state the best {qualifications} and expertise for the chief head of any monetary investigative unit (FIU).
“(The candidate) they would want specialise coaching in anti-money laundering, or counter terrorist financing certifications, coaching in forensic accounting, cybercrimes, monetary intelligence for asset restoration,” Bunting stated of what the person informed him.
In relation to expertise, Bunting stated he was suggested that the person who heads such a unit ought to have a minimum of 10 years’ expertise in monetary crime investigation, amongst different issues.
“So, in abstract, what we see is that the chief head of an FIU… should mix deep technical experience in monetary crime with management, discretion and a world outlook,” Bunting acknowledged.
He stated, additional, that earlier chief technical administrators of the FID like Selvin Hay, Justin Felice and Calvin Small, have been all senior detectives with distinguished careers in prison investigations, intelligence gathering, anti-corruption, and monetary crimes.
Bunting additionally pointed to former senior (authorized) council on the Financial institution of Jamaica (BOJ), Robin Sykes, who, Bunting claimed, had specialised experience in anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing.
“Women and gents, by comparability, Dennis Chung is a weak and unsuitable candidate for this publish, and if you take a look at the January 2025 advert (commercial) for this publish, you’ll be stunned to see that it appears to be like like a generic administration or administrative publish, fairly than for somebody who’s a chief technical director in a monetary investigative unit,” Bunting asserted.
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