Prime minister begs forgiveness, authorizes ‘Dudus’ extradition

PM Bruce Golding

Christopher 'Dudus' Coke

Confirming rumors that had been swirling in and out of Jamaica since 3:00 p.m. on Monday, which created some amount of panic and tension in the downtown Kingston area, Golding announced that he had instructed Justice Minister and Attorney General Dorothy Lightbourne to sign the authorization to begin the extradition process against Coke. The U.S. government has charged Coke with gun- and drug-trafficking between Jamaica and that country.

Addressing the extradition matter, Golding said, "I wrestled with the potential conflict between the issues of non-compliance with the terms of the (extradition) treaty and the unavoidable perception that because Coke is associated with my constituency, the Government's position was politically contrived…

“In the final analysis, however, that must be weighed against the public mistrust that this matter has evoked and the destabilizing effect it is having on the nation's business," said Golding. "Accordingly, the minister of justice, in consideration of all the factors, will sign the authorization for the extradition process to commence."

However, following Golding’s announcement that the long ordeal over the extradition matter could be coming to a close, Tom Tavares-Finson, Coke’s attorney said he would be appealing the government’s decision to extradite his client. Finson said the matter would be fought in the courts and he would be assembling a three-man legal team to begin proceedings on his client's behalf.