Golding apologizes, sanctions Coke’s extradition

By now it is common knowledge that Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding has decided to move forward with the extradition of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke and has apologized to the Jamaican people for his handling of both the extradition and his involvement in the related Manatt, Phelps and Phillips affair.

The question that needs to be answered is: What has changed?

The order to extradite Coke for alleged drug- and gun-trafficking was submitted to the Jamaican government from August of 2009. Since then, the Golding administration has fueled national and international controversy by delaying the signing of the order. Golding previously explained that the main reason for the delay was that the evidence procured (by means of wiretapping) by the U.S. to charge Coke, was a breach of the Jamaican Constitution.

However, in announcing the government’s intent to sign the extradition order, Golding did not mention whether he and his government were now satisfied that the U.S. government had not breached the Jamaican Constitution.

Controversy over the extradition matter heightened in recent weeks, following allegations in the Jamaican parliament that the government had contracted a U.S. law firm, Manatt, Phelps and Phillips to represent it to lobby with the Obama administration to drop its request to extradite Coke – a strong supporter of the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) and a resident in Golding’s West Kingston constituency.

Golding, in response to questions raised by the Jamaican Opposition, vehemently denied that the government had engaged or contracted any U.S. law firm to represent it in the extradition matter. A subsequent statement by the general secretary of the JLP, Karl Samuda, indicated that a member of the JLP, not the government, had contacted Manatt and retained its services with a payment of approximately US$50,000.

Yet, the law firm has maintained that it was retained and paid by the Jamaican government, not the JLP.

Golding confessed on May 12 to the Jamaican parliament, that it was he who sanctioned the JLP to make contact with Manatt, but did this in his capacity as leader of the JLP, not as head of the Jamaican government. Since his confession, calls for his resignation came from several Jamaican citizens and organizations, and the Jamaican Diaspora – which led Golding to summon members of his administration and the JLP to consider his resignation. He told Jamaicans on Monday that he decided to tender his resignation but was persuaded to stay in office.

Golding in his public apology reiterated that he had sanctioned the contacts with Manatt, but had “made it absolutely, unmistakably clear, however, that this was an initiative to be undertaken by the party, not by or on behalf of the Government.”

However, Golding has still left several questions unanswered in the Manatt affair, like why was it necessary for the JLP to contact the U.S. law firm in a matter related to the government’s handling of the extradition of an alleged criminal, and, most significantly, who paid the law firm approximately $50,000 to retain its services?

The day after Golding’s apology the People’s National Party (PNP) Opposition walked out of Parliament, as in response to the Opposition’s request for the Prime Minister to give more details on the Manatt affair, he signaled that he would not be commenting further on the matter. Also, the influential Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, while stating that it accepted Golding’s apology, called for him to provide complete disclosure as soon as possible, regarding the Government's involvement with Manatt.

Extradition order, warrant for Coke’s arrest signed

In the meantime, on Tuesday Jamaica’s Attorney General, Dorothy Lightbourne finally signed Coke’s extradition order and an arrest warrant is out for Coke. It was not known how and when the arrest warrant would be executed. If Coke is residing in Tivoli Gardens, as has been reported, there could be problems for the security forces to access Coke, as since Tuesday the entrances to the West Kingston garrison community have been barricaded by its residents.

In a related matter, Coke’s attorney, JLP Senator Tom Tavares Finson, has withdrawn as Coke’s lawyer, but has installed a new team of attorneys – Jacqueline Samuels-Brown and Paul Beswick. The Opposition had formerly requested Finson’s withdrawal from Coke’s case, as his presence conflicted with his role as a government Senator.

The new attorneys on Wednesday filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court challenging the extradition order.

The Jamaican police, in attempt to alleviate tensions in Kingston related to Coke’s arrest, appealed to Jamaicans to remain calm and not to circulate false information capable of generating panic. However, the Jamaica Defense Force has called out its reserves as a precautionary measure.