OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN on national security, Peter Bunting, on Wednesday disagreed strongly with senior Government minister, Karl Samuda, that the Financial Investigations Division (FID) should remain in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service.

Bunting warned against placing agencies with prosecutorial powers under direct political control.

At a meeting of a joint select committee examining the proposed FID Bill in Gordon House on Wednesday, Bunting said he was not comfortable with the current arrangement in which the political directorate had jurisdiction over the FID.

'Very nervous'

"I am just very nervous about prosecutorial agencies being under direct political control," he cautioned, adding that the "Constitution went to great lengths to ensure the independence of the director of public prosecutions' office".

In contrast, Samuda, who is the minister of industry, investment and commerce, said he was not offended by a policy decision which gave a minister authority over an agency such as the FID.

"There must be an oversight provision to ensure that any abuse of power by the minister is dealt with," Samuda added.

Further deliberations

Government member of Parliament Clive Mullings argued that it would be useful to hear further deliberations on the question of the executive having some influence over a prosecutorial agency.

The FID was established under the administration of the People's National Party.

Another committee member, Dr Omar Davies, who was the minister with responsibility for the FID under the previous administration, attempted to allay his colleague's fears about the role of the political directorate in relation to the FID.

Davies pointed out that the FID did not report to the minister, but to the financial secretary in the Ministry of Finance.