Colonel Desmond Edwards, director-general of the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), has backed Senator Peter Bunting’s denials, following accusations that the former national security minister gave a directive to the agency to investigate Energy Minister Daryl Vaz.

In a release on Tuesday (September 28), MOCA confirmed as true Bunting’s claims that he did not order the agency to conduct a probe into Vaz which led to the revocation of his US visa.

“Since the establishment, of the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency, no government minister or policymaker has ever given it any directive to investigate an individual,” read the MOCA release.

The release continued: “MOCA has very robust and transparent internal processes that determine what matters it investigates, and this is followed as a matter of course.”

“On the matter of the revocation of Mr Vaz’s United States visa, we have never received any directive from nor had any discussion with Mr Peter Bunting relating to an investigation into Mr Vaz, and we are unaware of what motives were behind the revocation.”

MOCA concluded that it, “remains an independent investigative body that is free from any form of external influence… and continues to work for the people of Jamaica in stamping out corruption and organised crime”.

The release followed claims made by former United States Ambassador to Jamaica Donald Tapia that Bunting requested that Vaz be investigated.

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