FLA Scandal | Integrity Commission says Meadows could be charged over misconduct

Edmond Campbell/Senior Staff Reporter

Former deputy chairman of the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) Dennis Meadows could face charges for misconduct in a public office, breach of public trust and a breach of the Corruption Prevention Act, the Integrity Commission has found.

Director of Corruption Prosecutions at the Integrity Commission Keisha Prince is now reviewing the findings of a probe by her colleague, Kevon Stephenson, the director of investigations.

Meadows resigned from the FLA board in 2017.

Stephenson led an extensive probe into allegations concerning acts of impropriety, irregularity and corruption in the issuance of firearm permits to persons of questionable character.

A special report on his investigation was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday but was not released until late Wednesday night by the administrators of Parliament.

READ: How Montague granted gun permits to six people with criminal traces

READ: Bunting implicated in FLA scandal

In the report, Stephenson said he has referred the matter to Prince for her to determine whether Meadows' approval of a firearm licence for a family member amounted to an explicit act of nepotism.

“The actions of Mr. Meadows 'in trying to assist a relative' in this regard, was an explicit act of nepotism which constitutes the common law offence of misconduct in public office and a breach of public trust,” said Stephenson.

He said he was satisfied that based on Section 2 of the Integrity Commission Act, if the facts as found were to be proved on admissible evidence to the requisite criminal standard, an appropriate tribunal would find that Meadows had committed the offence of misconduct in public office.

He revealed that Meadows approved a firearm user application for a family member who was convicted in the United States of attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

The director of investigations argued that as a public servant, Meadows advanced a private interest, which resulted in a benefit to his family member.

“In this respect, his actions contravened the principles of integrity and good governance,” the investigations boss said.

The director of investigations has also pointed to what he described as a conflict of interest between Meadows and an applicant referred to as 'Person X5'.

At a press conference in February, Shane Dalling, the chief executive officer of the FLA, raised grave concern about Meadows' conduct as a director.

The Gleaner reported on February 16 that Clint Rennie, the brother-in-law of Meadows, was among more than 200 people of questionable character reportedly granted gun licences by the FLA.

READ: Dalling unveils firearm licence corruption ring at FLA

In the case of Rennie, documents seen by The Gleaner showed that he was convicted for possession of cocaine and his application was denied in August 2015 on the basis that he failed to disclose his criminal conviction.

Without submitting an application for appeal or making a new application, he was granted a licence in June 2016, three months after Meadows joined the FLA board.

The licence was revoked in February 2020.

Meadows confirmed to The Gleaner that he was part of the board that approved Rennie's licence but said that he declared at the time that he was related to him.

He denied allegations made by Dalling, who raised grave concern about his conduct as an FLA director, calling the CEO's utterances incendiary and defamatory.

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