THE government on Friday, for the first time, clearly admitted that it had engaged in discussions with United States officials about the adverse impact the “timing” of the extradition of former West Kingston strongman Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke could have on Jamaica.
Attorney General and Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne, speaking in the Senate during a no confidence motion brought against her by Opposition Senators for her handling of the extradition matter, made the statement even while dismissing claims that the government had delayed or dithered in honouring the request for Coke.
Lightbourne presented a chronological account of the actions taken by the government between August 2009 when the extradition request was made and May 2010 when the order was signed.
She told the Senate that in April of this year, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Dr Kenneth Baugh met with US State Department Officials in Washington on the issue.
“The meeting discussed the possibility of public unrest and dislocation of the government’s economic programme, having regard to the timing of the extradition request,” said Lightbourne, who has direct responsibility for extradition matters.
She also informed the Senate that the matter was discussed in the context of Section 16 of the Mutual Assistance (Criminal Matters) Act, MACMA under which the Justice Minister is the central authority. That section mandates the refusal of a request if compliance would prejudice “other essential public interests of Jamaica”. Lightbourne said the concern was even more legitimate against the background of the results of the incursion by security forces in 1997 and 2001 into Tivoli Gardens, where more than 30 persons were killed.
That, she said, “underscored the level of concern at the timing of the request”. Prime Minister Bruce Golding, in addressing Parliament on the extradition saga recently, had alluded to the fact that the country’s precarious economic condition and the negotiations to resume a borrowing relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which were up to late last year incomplete played a part in the timing of Coke’s handing over.
Meanwhile, Lightbourne said contrary to reports, at no time did Golding give her directions on how to exercise her discretion.
“I therefore advised the Cabinet that in the circumstances I would be signing the authority to proceed and did so on May 18, 2010,” Lightbourne said.
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