Former Contractor General Dirk Harrison hits back at Montague
Published:Wednesday | June 14, 2023 | 4:07 PM
Former Contractor General Dirk Harrison has described as “conflated and erroneous” statements made by Member of Parliament for St Mary Western Robert Montague regarding a special report of investigation on allegations of impropriety, irregularity, and corruption in the issuance of firearm licences to persons of questionable character.
Harrison, in a media release, said he left the Integrity Commission in August 2019.
Prior to that time, Harrison said he had commenced an investigation into the issuance of firearm licences but noted that the probe was incomplete up to the time of the merger of the legacy agencies in February 2018.
“After February 2018, no further part was played by me in this investigation and I reiterate that I did not compile or write this 'original' report,” he said.
The former contractor general also denied ever writing a letter recommending “any gentleman or lady” to the Firearm Licensing Authority [FLA] or to any other institution or entity, knowing that the person is of questionable character.
On Tuesday, Montague criticised the Integrity Commission for a second time in two weeks over an addendum sent to Parliament clearing former national security minister Peter Bunting from improperly granting firearm licences to persons with criminal traces.
The findings of the original special report of investigation, which was tabled in Parliament in March 2022, slammed Montague for overruling the FLA in six instances and approving gun permits to persons with criminal traces whose applications were either denied or their licences revoked.
He insisted that the commission was biased as it addressed the concerns raised by Bunting, but had not seen it fit to review his objections to the original special report of the commission.
Montague, who was speaking on the motion of adjournment on Tuesday, said that the original probe was started and authored by Harrison.
He said the report covered 2012 to 2018 with two ministers of national security spanning the period.
Montague said that Harrison wrote a letter and an email to Peter Bunting during the period of the probe.
He said Harrison did not disclose “this material fact” in the report and the commission in its review did not include it in its addendum.
The St Mary Western MP raised concerns about a “conflict of interest” during the probe.
The Government MP charged that it was “manifestly clear that they had a judgment and a verdict before, during and after the investigation.”
The Government backbencher also accused Harrison of writing another letter in 2010 recommending a gentleman to the FLA who had a criminal conviction.
“This said gentleman is one of the eight persons under review in the special report.”
He said that Harrison was then the deputy director of public prosecutions when he wrote the letter on the letterhead of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The said another letter was written on the letterhead of the Office of the Contractor General when Harrison held that position.
But, Harrison reasoned that he wrote a letter in a professional setting making a recommendation.
The attorney-at-law argued that he had no power to grant or revoke firearm licences.
Responding to the claim that he wrote a recommendation on the letterhead of the ODPP, Harrison said he was a lawyer operating out of the ODPP.
“Just like a pastor or a police officer or a school principal would do, they would be writing, not with their home address but write based on where their office is,” pointed out.
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