Update | Finance Ministry pulls statement on FID selection controversy

Hours after issuing a statement to the public addressing the controversy over the removal of the law enforcement requirement for the top job at the Financial Investigations Division (FID), the Ministry of Finance has withdrawn the press release.

No explanation was given for recalling the statement.

Questions about the selection process continue to mount.

Just yesterday, the Information Minister, Dr Dana Morris Dixon, said the interview "panel" removed the requirement after "conversations," and there is no documentation of those decisions.

Her comment appeared to contradict Solicitor General Marlene Aldred, who told The Gleaner on June 27 that access to the documents was denied because disclosure could trigger a lawsuit or breach privacy. There was no claim that any documents were non-existent.

Today, the Finance Ministry offered a third view on the issue.

However, it subsequently recalled its statements.

The law enforcement experience requirement, listed in the original November 2024 advertisement, was removed in the revised ad published on January 23, 2025, just two days after former Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey declined the offer.

That move cleared the way for Dennis Chung, a chartered accountant who publicly questioned an Integrity Commission referral involving the prime minister to the FID in 2023, raising concerns about possible conflicts of interest. Chung does not have law enforcement experience.

The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association, National Integrity Action, and the MSME Alliance are among those calling for full disclosure, describing the situation as a troubling precedent in public sector hiring.

The FID, a key financial crimes agency, is central to Jamaica’s anti-corruption and anti-money laundering enforcement.

While the process for changing job requirements remains unclear, it emerged in a recent case that the National Land Agency had to seek permission from the Ministry of Finance before removing a mandatory requirement for a senior post. The NLA similarly argued that it wanted to broaden the pool of applicants for key posts.

In an ATI response in May 2024, the NLA disclosed a letter it sent to the ministry, noting that it was on the basis of a no-objection from the ministry that it had advertised the position without the requirement listed as mandatory.

Among other things, the NLA argued in a 2022 request that while certification with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors was a mandatory requirement and had benefits, “it limits prospective qualified candidates”.

However, the ministry ultimately blocked the attempt after an audit by its Corporate Management and Establishment Branch. The finance ministry had previously indicated that despite giving the no-objection, the NLA needed to provide other documentation before formal authorisation.

Gleaner questions to Financial Secretary Darlene Morrison remain unanswered.

The interview panel has not been disclosed.

The PSC is responsible for certain appointments in the public sector. Its secretariat is the Office of the Services Commissions (OSC). Some public entities use the OSC/PSC to conduct their recruitment.

Members of the Public Service Commission

Patricia Sinclair McCalla – Chairman

Bishop Herro Blair

Professor Denise Eldemire-Shearer

Khadrea Folkes

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