Gov't was nervous - Feared ‘Dudus’ extradition request could topple administration

Vaz says money for extradition lobby came from legitimate source

BY PAUL HENRY Crime/Court Co-ordinator henryp@jamaicaobserver.com

Saturday, February 05, 2011

A day after the United States requested the extradition of accused drug lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke in 2009, National Security Minister Dwight Nelson is said to have expressed deep fears to then police commissioner Hardley Lewin that the Government could collapse if the request was granted.

The disclosure was made yesterday by Lewin while testifying before the commission of enquiry looking into the Government's handling of the extradition request, which led to a nine-month stand-off between Jamaica and the US and strained relations between both countries.

During the impasse, which drew international attention, the United States-based law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips was hired to lobby Washington for a favourable outcome on the issue, a matter that later led to calls for Prime Minister Bruce Golding's resignation.

Yesterday, Lewin told the nationally-televised commission of enquiry that on the morning of August 26, 2009 -- the day after the extradition request was sent -- he spoke with Nelson in order to find out what was holding up the signing of the authority to proceed with extradition proceedings against Coke.

"He informed me that it was a matter for the justice minister," Lewin said Nelson told him.

"CP," Lewin said Nelson told him, "you don't understand. This matter could cause the Government to collapse."

"Oh," Lewin said he responded to the minister and from that day on he was determined not to speak further with anyone in Government about the Coke extradition request.

According to Lewin, the conversation with Nelson followed one he had with Solicitor General Douglas Leys on August 25 about the status of the extradition request and its "outlook". He said that Leys informed him that Dorothy Lightbourne, the minister of justice and attorney general, appeared annoyed over the push to initiate extradition proceedings against Coke.

"He told me that the document is with the minister of justice and that the document, she had been informed, is in order but that she is making a fuss as to the undue haste to sign the document," Lewin told the commission.

Lewin said he asked for and was given Lightbourne's telephone number by Leys. Calls to the number, Lewin said, went unanswered. During cross-examination by Queen's Counsel Frank Phipps, Lewin was called a 'busy body' meddling in an a diplomatic issue that did not concern him.

Lewin, in a war of words with Nelson in the wake of Coke's eventual capture and extradition last June, claimed that the accused drug lord was informed about the extradition request 15 minutes after a high-level security meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Kingston. His cross-examination is to continue on Monday.

Coke, who is now awaiting trial in the US on drug and gunrunning charges, has been an ardent supporter of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and operated in the Tivoli Gardens community, located in the prime minister's West Kingston constituency.

Testifying earlier during yesterday's sitting of the commission, Information Minister Daryl Vaz, who was deputy treasurer of the JLP, said under cross-examination that the US$50,000 that was used to pay for the services of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips was "clean" money that came from a legitimate source.

Vaz also said that the firm was not working on behalf of the Government of Jamaica. He also said that the party did not contract the US firm with a view to quelling the extradition request.

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COMMENTS (23)

Hotta Fire
2/5/2011

The JLP govt depended too much on Coke...Bruce couldnt win on his own, he couldnt even get the west kgn seat on his own...They owed dudus so much they were afraid to lock him up...Lightbourne, Bruce, Nelson are all cowards. They do not deserve to be leaders, Coke was more a leader than them. As for Vaz who admits he paid for the tickets for Brady and Robinson, he is the real leader in the JLP. James Robertson is another shot caller. Well Jamaica will soon hav the opportunity to choose again!!!!!

Dan Atkinson
2/5/2011

Vaz's testimony was disgusting. If he operates as he said he does he should not even hold a position in the Drinkers club of Swift River

2/5/2011

After it is all "done and said", Dudus has not been indicted for any crime by the Jamaican police. That said, what is the big deal for trying to arrest a Jamaican who is/was living in Jamaica for another country. Does this make any sense? Mr. Lewin is just another failed JCF commissioner who always try to put the focus on someone or something else for their failure. Extradition matters are diplomatic issues between governments. Mr. Lewin was not one. Who was he serving Jamaicans or the USA?

johnny gordon
2/5/2011

@cemanuel I grieve for no bad man, I grieve for my country. Because if all the bad men were shipped out of Jamaica, without regards to political flavor, that would still not be enough. Because it would still leave of us with all the political leeches, on all sides of the fence, along with their sympathisers.

Nicolas Henry
2/5/2011

@Wayne Jones The PNP have their own form of DUDUS. Who was BULBIE? Why was he finally caught and killed, after being on the run in Jamaica for 10yrs? After all is said and done, Bruce Golding is the only one that atacked his own Garrison, and that's driving the momentum on against crime right now.
.... Look how Peter phillips sell out JA. They don't trust ppl with dual citzenship but yet they're less patriotic that ppl with dual citizenship. Peter sign treaty without paliment approval.

Steve Allen
2/5/2011

No wonder why our country is so messed up with gunmen.
Lewin got scared and resigned, he was not man enfough
to take the bull by its horns.
One can see why so many police men never wanted him as Commissioner of Police. When one is trained as a cop
he must be fearless. When you let gunmen run things instead you as the cop running things , what do you expect ? Mr Adams was a fearless cop., He was the type of cop we trained with.
H

Bill Bowen
2/5/2011

Lewin, YOU ARE A FAILURE,COWARD, AND WIMP.and thats Mr Golding had to get rid of you.
Disgarce!!
Thanks Bruce, for getting rid of the non perfomers.

johnny gordon
2/5/2011

The media is doing a disservice to the public by repeating hearsay as if it were fact. Even if it was later proved that nobody said anything to Lewin about being afraid of toppling, it will still be stuck in the minds of those who want to believe that. I would hope there is a law that punishes perjury at hearings like these but alas granting our penchant for acts of folly, I am sure to be disappointed. BTW, why would Lewin call the AG for status on a legal matter? does the AG work for him?

Chuck Emanuel
2/5/2011

Why are people still wiggling and waffling about "wait for the evidence" ? The evidence on Dudus has already brought forth an indictment by a Grand Jury in the U.S, and is waiting to be proved at trial ( a real trial).
Those who are dead set on continuing with the obfuscations and the tacit support for narco-traffickers, gun-runners, criminals and corrupt Politicians, should say so and accept the possible consequences. Be assured, the war against narco-terrorists and corruption will continue.

mike delisser
2/5/2011

Dudus was an integral part of the govt. Any criminal that is able to dictate which politician is allowed to run in Tivoli controls that official and contributes to the rampant corruption. The scary thing is that there are many more like Dudus out the from both political parties.

Chuck Emanuel
2/5/2011

@johnny gordon. Maybe the upcoming Dudus Trial will convince you that these scum-bags narco-terrorists and gun-runners should be shipped wholesale and retail out of Jamaica to face justice un-impeded by sympathetic, or political concerns.

Monique Saunders Merchant
2/5/2011

The very fact that it was believed that the signing of the extradition papers would lead to the collapse of the government implicitly shows how much of a role Dudus actually plays in the government. Without him even knowing, Nelson has basically admitted to the corruption plaguing the government. Shame on some of these politicians.

Alex Campbell
2/5/2011

Vaz said he did not know Dudus, had no dealing with him and neither was Dudus a party member, yet the JLP paid US$50,000 to foreign lawyers to protect his interest. Add over $900,000 in airfares and we see the link between JLP Politics and criminals. Dudus is charged for GUN Running and DRUG smuggling. Does the JLP donate such money to sick children in need of care? No. This is corruption. RESIGNATION MUST COME NOW. SHAME, SHAME on the JLP and its Leaders.

wayne Jones
2/5/2011

No wonder Dudus' actions were so miscalculated...it seem that he reading too much of his own press clippings..it's clear that the Government very afraid of this man...
If the Government really believed that the country's safety was going to be in a dire predicament...then...you have to give Bruce some credit to sanction the incursion when his back was against the wall....that shows...what can be achieved when you let go off cowardice..and FIGHT...
Bruce thought he was doing the right thing..

christopher Isaacs
2/5/2011

Observer! Evidently your eternally cynical bloggers are scared stiff to be informed by the facts, as even as the enquiry televised nationally they still insist to delve in ignorance. They provide no analysis even in the least and simply insist on making wild statements. Why not wait until Lewin has completed his evidence during which time conclusions can be drawn one way or the other, because believe me I know, based on his previous utterances, he is going come out looking unadmirally.

christopher Isaacs
2/5/2011

I am indeed surprised that Lewin's testimony is even mentioned when has hardly been crossexamined, yet Vaz's testimony which has been thoroughly examined has got little mention. What is the Observer's view of the evidence given by Vaz. Are they still of the opin. that the Goj and not the JLP paid or employed MPP?, or are they of the opinion, as is the PNP, that Dudus paid not on behalf of the JLP but on behalf of the Gov?. It is interesting how no one seem interested to be informed by the facts.

John Justice
2/5/2011

So if so many people knew of the extradition before the govnt, Lewin was out of order to imply that Coke found out as a result of his discussion with the PM and Nelson when it could have come from so many different sources including himself. QC Phipps is right he was a "busy body" indeed.

tickyticky fish
2/5/2011

That is why Admiral Hardley Lewin and other Police commissioners before him could not stop the "crime train" because crooked politicians were "running things' giving orders.

tickyticky fish
2/5/2011

@ all of yuh politicians who have "clean hands" put dem up?

Wa Tch
2/5/2011

"Lewin was called a 'busy body' meddling in an a diplomatic issue that did not concern him."
Phipps was out of order but no doubt it reflected the views of his client the JLP . The country's national security was at stake the head of the police force wanted an account for the delay in moving ahead with it expeditiously and he is being accused of being a busy body. The defence of DON DUDUS continues!!

Trevor Harris
2/5/2011

I hope the goodly Minister will tell us why the extradition of an alleged criminal would topple the Govt. I think Phipps is out of order for referring to Lewin as a busy body.I think he is the busy body.Why should the commissioner not want to know what was holding up a simple matter.Phipps party is put to shame and all his lawyering skills won't change anything.All the diversionary tactics he is using won't help.And as for Vaz, we want to know where the money came from.

johnny gordon
2/5/2011

what amazes me about the inquiry is the amount of "he said", "she said" that gets thrown about. Lewin is not a very convincing story teller, he tries to fit his story with other stated opinions/facts, but it remains to be seen how accurate are his opinions.

Paul Gentles
2/5/2011

By saying the signing of the extradition request would bring the govt. down - was this an implicit statement that dudus was such an integral part of the govt? How much of dudus illicit funds have been "invested" in this govt? as we learn he was a major shareholder in this govt. Honorary crime czar to boot..

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Gov't was nervous - Feared ‘Dudus’ extradition request could topple administration