As we suspected, last week’s announcement by Prime Minister Bruce Golding of his intention to approach the local courts for a ruling concerning the handling of the US’ extradition request for Mr Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, the strongman of his West Kingston constituency, has not brought a scintilla of clarity to the issue.

Instead, we are even more baffled than we were prior to the announcement, which itself was a creature of confusion. No nearer are we to knowing what the ultimate objectives of the proposed court action are, what precise format said action will take, or who will represent whom.

In the meantime, the controversy has deepened with the latest utterance by Mr Harold Brady, the attorney-at-law accused of taking it upon himself to hire US law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips on the Government’s behalf without the Government’s knowledge.

According to Mr Brady, the Government knows more than it is letting on.

Surprise!

We think the entire country has known, for some time now, that the Government has not been coming straight on this issue, which seems inextricably linked to the ‘Dudus’ issue, from the get-go.

From Mr Golding’s ill-advised denial in Parliament about engaging the US firm at taxpayers’ expense with a view to taking expert advice on how to handle the ‘Dudus’ affair, to the subsequent backtracking in the face of evidence to the contrary, to the current merry-go-round of ill-defined strategising, the entire saga’s a mess.

The next round of explanations, according to Mr Karl Samuda, the Jamaica Labour Party’s general secretary, is scheduled for tomorrow’s Standing Finance Committee meeting.

Far more telling are the hours that have passed since Mr Brady’s rather damning hints during a radio interview on April 8, that Information Minister Daryl Vaz is hiding information.

Since that one hit the fan, the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) has called for an independent investigation into the affair. So, too, has the Opposition People’s National Party, which — based on its own dismal record in Government — really has no moral authority to speak.

According to yesterday’s edition of our sister newspaper, JCC President Milton Samuda said the matter has now reached the stage where it warrants independent investigation.

We submit that the matter has been begging an independent investigation for some time now.

For it seems clear that the current information machinery has broken down, leaving us with the following plot summary:

* A strong man of the prime minister’s constituency wanted — since last August, at least — by the US to answer charges of drug- and gun-running…

* A staunch refusal by the Government to let the request run its course through the courts, coupled with an unseemly vow by the prime minister to pay the political price.

* Information suggesting that the Government engaged a US law firm to give advice on said strongman’s behalf.

* Desperate and, to date, futile attempts to have the information retracted by the law firm and the local lawyer who supposedly took it upon himself to hire and — we can only suppose — pay thousands of US dollars to said firm.

* Prolific US visa cancellation upon prolific US visa cancellation.

What next?