As it continues to investigate a fraud involving the sale of gun licences, the Guyana Police Force is seeking the assistance of licensed firearm holders who bought their licences during August and December 2012, at the Brickdam Police Registry.
On Tuesday, police had announced that a female lance corporal was under open arrest over the sale of gun licences, after financial irregularity was uncovered in the Police ‘A’ Division Registry Section. The Audit and Inspection Unit of the Police Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) in conjunction with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is conducting investigations.
In a statement on Friday, police noted that the record of firearm licences sold for August and December of last year has not been located. As a result, it asked that individuals and representatives of companies who purchased their firearm licences at Brickdam during the period, report to the OPR at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, with their licences, in order to aid the investigations.
The OPR can be visited on any working day, Monday to Friday, between 9 am to 4 pm, it added.
Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee recently announced that the ministry has embarked on a review of the licensing process for firearms, with a view to improving accountability and efficiency and has put in place fees to recoup processing costs.
Speaking at a forum held at the new Police Training College on Camp Road on December 31, 2012, Rohee said the review of the process was as a consequence of the establishment of the Firearms Licensing Approval Board.
“To date, a Firearms Licensing Management System (FLMS) has been developed for the Guyana Police Force, to support application, maintenance and renewal of firearm licences, by the Guyana Police Force,” he said.
He added that the FLMS will allow police divisions to electronically record firearm licence applications. “It uses an activity-based methodology to support the process from application to approval or rejection,” he said. “The ministry will have full access to this system.”
He explained that application forms have been designed for 10 categories of applicants and purposes. “The application forms will replace the letter of application, which more often than not, excludes vital information necessary to arrive at a decision, on the applicant’s suitability for a firearm licence, or other requests made,” he added.
Rohee said persons can either download the forms from the ministry or police force’s websites, or pick up forms at police stations. The minister explained that fees were instituted to recoup costs for the processing of applications.
