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News
State Dept denies knowledge of document linking PM to 'Dudus'
Thursday, May 27, 2010
THE US State Department yesterday denied knowledge of any document referring to Prime Minister Bruce Golding as an affiliate of Tivoli Gardens don Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
In his daily press briefing in Washington DC, Assistant Secretary Philip J Crowley said he was not aware of a report cited by ABC News in an article on its website, http://abcnews.go.com, Tuesday that made serious claims against Golding.
The article had also claimed that the Kingston Public Hospital was taken over by criminals loyal to Coke, who is wanted in the United States to answer charges related to drug- and gun-running. That claim was eventually dimissed by Health Minister Rudyard Spencer and staff at the hospital.
But responding to questions about the article yesterday, Crowley said he was "not familiar with the report cited in that story".
"We certainly support the efforts of the Government of Jamaica to strengthen the rule of law and arrest Christopher Coke. The Government of Jamaica and the prime minister have taken bold steps in the last few days, and we continue to work closely with the Government of Jamaica to counter illicit trafficking," he told journalists.
"I would just simply say we here at the State Department (have) no information to substantiate that report," he emphasised.
He lauded Golding for the steps he had taken in the past week to serve an arrest warrant on Coke.
"...To us, actions speak louder than words. It is the prime minister who signed (authorised) the arrest decree and it is under his leadership that the Government is aggressively pursuing the arrest of Mr Coke," Crowley added.
Earlier in the day, Golding angrily denied and dismissed as "extremely offensive" the ABC News report, which was still on its website at Observer press time last night.
He also expressed outrage at a report in The Independent (United Kingdom) newspaper, which he alleged was trying to link him personally with Coke.
He said both reports "were clearly part of a conspiracy to undermine the duly elected Government of Jamaica".
 
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5/28/2010
@ciritical 'thinker.' Black people work at ABC, too. If you want to defend Bruce, think about what you're posting before you post it.
The point needs to be made on this story, as I've seen posted elsewhere, that: State Dep not knowing about it don't mean it does no deh fi real...
5/27/2010
@ JACYNIC Very perceptive.
@Harold Hinds what are you doing at crime scenes at numerous occasions. Are you a forensic analyst?
5/27/2010
ABC is one station we in New York don't believe in, them concoct and fabricate stories all the time. I have been to crime scenes on numerous occasions where what actually happened was not what ABC broadcast, and not to mention they are usually the last on the scene so they should have gotten their stories right. Jamaicans don't believe a word, no sah wait fi di hard cold truth cause dat media a "Tell Lie Vision". I foresee a law-suit in their future.
5/27/2010
ABC does not respect Jamaica and never will. They can stick to the garbage they publish because Jamaica is too poor refute them in a way that makes them think twice before they report any thrash again.
.
Does ABC even have any reporters on the ground in Jamaica? It's always so easy to beat upon poor black-run countries without fear of effective backlash.
5/27/2010
I didn't know our Prime Minister needed white people's permission to speak to a Jamaican citizen in Jamaica(whether by telephone or otherwise)----- particularly a citizen that resides in the constituency of which Prime Minister is the duly elected Parliamentary representative. Jamaican leaders are now criminals for talking to Jamaicans inside Jamaica? Talk about being out of place! We really give white people way too much air time, trust me.
5/27/2010
"Jamaican always say if a nouh so a nearly so"
5/27/2010
Duly elected Government? Well Mr. Prime Minister, since you are the duly elect, we will have to duly vote you out if you don't resign. I have never voted but believe me if you don't go I will be voting in the next couple of years. I feel no pity for you regarding this report. Mi granny used to say if you lie wid dawg, u mus ketch flea.
5/27/2010
I can no longer believe anything our PM says unless it can be corroborated. That being said Ramon Castro is a moron. The PM should never have gotten involved regardless of anything in the extradition order, period. It's a duly negotiated and signed document. This is a example of why our country is so corrupt, because politicians get involved with things that our civil service are paid to do, in order to influence the outcome. NO patriot will condone these types of actions.
5/27/2010
George Watson...I confirm your comments about what Ramon Castro wrote but i think i am going to call them waht the Bible said we should call no man.. a Fool. Ramon and the others who are thinking the same way..please open your eyes!!!
5/27/2010
"In a 1977 investigative report, Penthouse magazine, citing U.S. intelligence sources, described how the State Department sought to capitalize on the spreading violence between Mr. Coke’s Shower Posse and the garrisoned neighbourhoods that supported Mr. Manley: “Shipments of guns and sophisticated communication equipment begun to be smuggled into the island. In one shipment alone, which was grabbed by Manley’s security forces, there were 500 submachine guns.”
5/27/2010
When I see stupid comments on here I never even try to dignify them with a comment. But when I read the posting of Ramon Castro, sanctioned by michele michele I was tempted to call them what the Bible said we should call no man.
5/27/2010
Well, where is the evidence ... this document? Who published it? Is that source credible? Be careful how you rush to judgment (either way) as YOU MAY BECOME VICTIM OF THE SAME THING !!!
If ABC really has such a document then why not, as good US citizens, hand it over to their government? It would be their duty to do so!
5/27/2010
Well, listen people, ABC would look stupid to not stick by their story, even though its proven inaccurate to some degree. I'm not surprised they're sticking by it. They're riding on the fact that they're a well known news organization, so that will give them some credibility...If they went back on their word, they'd look stupid...so don't use the fact that they're sticking by their story as a proof of accuracy...Where's the document? Where are the sources? Bruce knows more, but ABC is wrong!
5/27/2010
Mr. Castro , you are so right....
5/27/2010
The ABC report is full with in accuraccies, I went ahead and read it, they even claim the KPH was now under control of Dudus and his thus and even gave an account of a surgeon who was detain by the thugs- "Cant believe that major news house whould publish such crap"
5/27/2010
ABC News Senior Vice President Jeffery Schneider told CNN by e-mail that the company stands by its reporting. The State Department may not know about the document. That does not mean that it does not exist
5/27/2010
Bruce Golding doesn't know Dudus? That is just naive. How can the MP NOT know the man who really runs things in an area of his constituency? How does the Prime Minister not know the President? Of course Bruce knows him. And as for his constitutional rights...what do you think his lawyer was doing when he met with the US embassy? Dudus is willing to forego his constituional "rights" - he wants to be whisked away to a US prison by US Marshalls lest he end up like daddy. Dudus fraid fi dead.
5/27/2010
This is not the first time a Jamaican PM had to extradite a criminal. Why did Mr.Golding not follow protocol, instead of taking this so personal that he would rather resign? Never mind about the ABC or the US government, that is something the Jamaican people have been talking openly about for a very long time and whom he has to answer to.
5/27/2010
Read between the lies.
That same denial staed that it was the PM who had signed the authorising document. That was not correct either.
The official merely said that he was not aware. Should he have been?
If he was so aware, was he authorised to relay such information?
JA Cynic
5/27/2010
i doubt if Golding even knew Coke personally. Just because you are a MP doesn't mean you every one of constituents. The man was foolishly trying to avoid mayhem in TG. If he had signed the extradition w/o consulting with Mannatt, the outcome would be the same.
You could just arrest the man and ship him off to the USA without due court process. As evil as this man with his cronies, he is a Jamaican and has constitution rights. He has the right to fight extradition, through the courts.
5/27/2010
Well ABC is sticking by its story lets see how wins this battle. In fact they have been saying more.
5/27/2010
Well ABC through their Senior VP is sticking to their story..............So lets see what will become of this one......Like the Manatt episode the PM's version of events are at odds with that of ABC...........If not the PM should sue, he would get a tidy sum for damages
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