Questionable Conduct: The Jamaican Political Reality

            Apart from making a phone call to Prime Mister Bruce Golding informing him that COP Hardley Lewin and CDS Major General Stuart Saunders was in his company and had certain information which would be on interest to him, what else did Minister of National Security, Hon. Dwight Nelson, do in respect of the extradition of Christopher “Dudus” Coke? It is very difficult to avoid the answer: “Next to nothing”. • There is no evidence before the Tivoli COE from which one could even reasonably infer that Nelson made another phone call concerning the impending request. • Minister Nelson did not accompany the COP and the CDS to the Prime Minister and did not discuss with either of the heads of the security forces or the Prime Minister what took place at that meeting. • The Minister admitted that he absolutely did not have any responsibility in the extradition matters. • At no stage did the Minister of National Security get involved. • Nelson h...

Initially, the position of the government and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) was that: The MOU"S breached the constitutional rights of Jamaican people; The MOU's were legally invalid as the provisions were in conflict with the laws of Jamaica; Dr. Peter Phillips secretly and without the requisite authority entered into such agreements (MOU1 & MOU2) with agencies of the US government (DEA, CIA, FBI)  Curiously, in the Manatt Commission of Enquiry, the JLP had distinct and separate legal representation from Prime Minister Bruce Golding. The JLP, through its attorney Frank Phipps QC, maintained the position that the MOU's facilitated the breach of the citizens' constitutional rights. PM Golding's attorney, Hugh Small QC, seemed at times to be lending support to this seemingly principled position. The PNP's attorney Senator K.D. Knight QC. brought to the attention of the COE Prime Minister Golding's admission in Parliament that the current government...