Dennis Chung assigned police protection amid FID appointment controversy

Dennis Chung, the incoming Chief Technical Director of the Financial Investigations Division (FID), has been assigned police protection following threats and pressure aimed at dissuading him from taking up the post.

Security officials have assessed the threats against Dennis Chung as serious, citing the heated rhetoric surrounding his appointment, The Jamaica Observer reports. Chung, whose appointment becomes official on June 2, 2025, is stepping into the role following the departure of Selvin Hay in July 2024, amid intensifying public debate.

On Thursday, following the official announcement by Finance Minister Fayval Williams, the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) strongly objected, accusing Chung of being compromised and unqualified. The party issued a 72-hour ultimatum for the Government to rescind the appointment or face islandwide action.

PNP President Mark Golding argued that Chung has previously made public statements on matters currently under the FID’s purview, which, he claims, “seek to undermine or belittle the impact and importance of the findings that the Integrity Commission (IC) has made.”

Golding was referring to Chung’s public commentary on the IC’s report into Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s finances. The report, which raised several concerns, was referred to the FID for further investigation. Chung, a chartered accountant, had questioned the IC’s findings in his role as a public commentator.

During a Thursday press conference, Golding said, “He clearly is a biased person on this matter; he clearly would have a conflict leading the FID to investigate this matter. That is why we’re saying he should resign that position if he’s accepted it, or the appointment should be rescinded and revoked forthwith.”

In response, Finance Minister Williams pushed back at the PNP’s demands, noting that the appointment was made on the recommendation of the Public Services Commission (PSC).

“The proposal for the Government to insert itself into a meritorious process which included advertisement and interviews, and was conducted by the PSC, is both reckless and dangerous. This is a path which Jamaica should avoid,” Williams said in a press release on Friday.

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) also rejected the PNP’s call to reverse Chung’s appointment. Government Senator Marlon Morgan, a senior member of the JLP’s communications taskforce, criticized the Opposition for attempting to “bully and manipulate systems established to ensure a fair recruitment process.”

“It would be disappointing if the PNP is seeking to bring the selection process into disrepute, given that a possible candidate of their choice was not found to have merited selection for the post,” Morgan said.

He added that while the JLP “holds no brief for Chung,” his track record should be respected, noting his previous roles at the Bank of Jamaica, the National Solid Waste Management Authority, the Office of Disaster Preparedness, and in the financial sector with firms such as Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) and Dehring Bunting and Golding (DB&G).