Major General (Ret.), then Permanent Secretary Ministry of National Security, Stewart E. Saunders gave his assessment of the Extradition Framework:
"The steps to be taken when an Extradition Request is made must be clearly and unambiguously set out and must in no way shape, or, form be subjected to the intervention of the political directorate. This process should be treated solely as a judicial process to avoid any opportunity of the said political directorate determining its commencement or conclusion.
In the matter before the Commission of Enquiry, the problems that occurred or, manifested themselves, did so because the Security Forces were prevented from carrying out their functions in 2009. This was the first time in our history of effecting such requests that there was political interference of the magnitude that was evident. Jamaica would have been spared the events of May 2010 had this not been so.
It is, in my opinion, grossly irresponsible and a breach of loyalty to the nation for a government to attempt to deny the facts surrounding information and intelligence presented by the Security Forces and to further insinuate that the said Forces acted without the relevant knowledge and authority of their Superiors, all because of political expediency.
The Government’s willful misrepresentation of the facts succeeded in jeopardizing operations in place to capture Mr Christopher Coke. If the Extradition Request, which was no different from any other actioned by the relevant/administration previously, had been signed in August 2009 when presented:
a. There would have been no fortification of communities.
b. The illegitimate regime of Tivoli Gardens and surrounding communities would not have felt emboldened to challenge the legitimate State
in open, pre-meditated and planned violent engagements.
c. The mass migration of gunmen to prevent the execution of the Arrest
Warrant would not have occurred.
d. The capture of Mr Christopher Coke would have been effected with
the minimum loss of life, if any at all, compared to that which occurred in May 2010.
Perceived political expediency resulted in disloyalty to the nation. The process of initiating, implementing and concluding an Extradition Request must prevent such recurrences in the future.”
(Source: Confidential memorandum dated November 5, 2015)
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