REVEREND Al Miller, who met with Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke two days before members of the security forces went into Tivoli Gardens, has disclosed that plans were being finalised for the alleged drug lord to turn himself in to the police by last Wednesday.

Miller told the Observer in an interview last night that he met with Coke the Wednesday before, and spent close to three hours talking to him about finding an amicable solution to the stand-off between residents in the community and the security forces.

Miller said that he met with Coke the following Saturday and told him that the barricades to the community would have to be removed as a sign that he was serious about bringing an end to the situation.

Both agreed, Miller said, that the barricades would be removed on Labour Day, while Coke would consult further with his lawyers on Tuesday and a final decision would be made on Wednesday.

“Wednesday was to be D-Day,” Miller said.

He said that Coke, while willing to go through the Jamaican court system, openly expressed fear that he could suffer a similar fate to his father Lester Lloyd “Jim Brown” Coke, who died in a fire in his cell at the then General Penitentiary before he could be extradited to the US.

“I met him in his office and we sat and spoke about his concerns and what were his options and his concern was that he did not want any loss of lives and to see innocent people dying on his behalf,” Miller said.

But that plan seemingly went awry on Sunday when, according to Miller, some “loose cannons” launched an attack against the police.

Miller said that on Sunday, in the height of the skirmishes, he spoke with Coke who assured him that he would look into bringing the situation under control.

“I think he was very disappointed that it had happened because we were gaining ground,” Miller said.

(See full story in tomorrow’s Daily Observer)