Last night on 7news, you saw our investigative report on the back door sale of gun licenses. It's rapidito service for persons who are not properly vetted and do not go through the required procedures to get a gun license. Instead, they pay a third party, often a gun dealer who guarantees them a license if they purchase a weapon from him. We've been following this story for months and have heard multiple, credible accounts of this practice - including an offer made to a senior official in government. And today, after our story aired, we had even more anecdotal accounts coming in - though anonymous.
Now, the issuance and final approval for gun licenses are the sole domain of the commissioner of police Chester Williams. We caught him at an event in Belmopan today where he said obliquely he's still not convinced gun licenses are being sold:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I cannot definitively say there are persons out there selling gun licenses. I have heard rumors before of certain persons who were charging for gun licenses. There was no proof to it but having received that information, we had made some adjustment in terms of how we issue gun licenses. Again, if it is that you as an applicant for firearm license, decide to go to somebody to help you get a gun license and you pay that person that you went to to get that gun license, that is on you because getting a gun license is free. The only payment you are to pay is the application payment of $75 and then if the license is approved, you pay the license fee of $75. Any other payment outside of that, if you choose to go and give that to anybody, that is on you. But again, as the person who deals with firearm licenses, or who would normally approve, I am extremely meticulous in terms of who I issue licenses to and even though we have background checks that is done by special branch, I also have a mechanism within my office where we also do further checks on these persons who are applying for gun licenses to make sure that we don't give gun licenses to the wrong persons so yes there are persons out there who are trying to create their own mischief and I am not going to follow myself with them, I can proudly say, that as the Commissioner of Police, I have not issued a gun license to anybody who is not deserving."
Courtney Menzies:
"But these people are saying they paid thousands for a guaranteed license and they got it so how is it that they were able to get it?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"There is no license that is guaranteed. As I've said before, if you have applied, you meet the criteria, meaning the vetting is good, you're a person of outstanding character, you have no criminal history, I have no issue with it, it will be approved, more than likely, and they're also instances where I have not approved gun licenses for people and they would write a letter to me, appealing the decision and explain to me why they need the gun license and what I would do then, I would review their request, and if I think their request is justified, I would approve it for them, that is something I do almost everyday."
Courtney Menzies:
"But it seems that there's glaring evidence that somewhere along the process, maybe not necessarily with you, but somewhere along the process there is some level of corruption happening."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well that has nothing to do with me. Like I said again, just like when you apply for passport, there are some places that have opened across the country where they assist you in applying for a passport, right? Certain gun dealers may have been assisting people and promising people certain things. If you take what they're saying to you and you go and pay them for a gun license, that is on you."
