Questionable Conduct: The Jamaican Political Reality

The issue of the sufficiency, or otherwise, of the supporting evidence  accompanying the formal extradition request for Christopher "Dudus" Coke resurfaced during the cross-examination of Miss Dorothy Lightbourne at the Tivoli Commission of Enquiry. The focus was on the "other evidence"--ie that excluding the contested wire tape evidence. Dorothy Lightbourne, the former Attorney- General and Minister of Justice, has been consistent in maintaining that the evidence other than that pertaining to the wire taps was insufficient to establish a prima facie case. Nevertheless she signed the authority to proceed without a sufficient evidentiary basis. In the Manatt Enquiry, the following exchanges took place on Friday, March 11, 2011 between Mr. K.D. Knight and Miss Lightbourne: Q:   ..... Miss Lightbourne you had some reservations about the wire tap evidence that had been supplied by the US government, is that correct? A:  That is correct. Q:   If you exclude t...

There is the view that had the fugitive Christopher "Dudus " Coke been apprehended outside of his 'safe' haven of Tivoli Gardens, there would not have been a rationale for the military exercise--ostensibly the capture one wanted man. It was the concern of the security forces that the capture of Coke, wherever, would have elicited some public protest by residents of TG and supporters of the "Prezi", given his empire and influence. There is no doubt that the notice given to Coke facilitated the fortification of TG and the mobilization of  armed combatants aimed at defending the Don. The Tivoli  Commission of Enquiry (COE) in its attempt to explore the  strategies employed by the security forces will have to explore the options that were considered, based on the information available at the time. If Coke had been prevented from retreating to that garrison outpost and the security forces had only to deal with the expected public protest, would the resultant ...

The GOJ has announced a budget of $100m for the Tivoli Commission of Enquiry; in addition to identifying a replacement for Velma Hylton QC. However, whilst the the candidate's name has been forwarded to the Leader of the Opposition in the "consultation ritual", there is still no indication of the proposed start up date. Of course it will be argued that such will depend, in part, on the availability of the Commissioners, the supporting staff, as well as the outstanding ballistics report - which its is said to have bedeviled the now retired Public Defender. Interesting the tension between the Office of the Public Defender and the Independent Commission of Investigation (INDECOM) as to the apportionment of blame for the delay seemed to be resolved with the former (probably as a departing gift) sending copies of some 42 files to the latter (without the public being given any reasons). These constitute the set that-- in the view of the Public Defender after analysing the...

Attorney- General, the Honourable Patrick Atkinson, Q.C. has risen to the defence of the appointment of Velma Hylton, Q.C. as one of three commissioners in the Tivoli COE . The learned gentleman read in Parliament from " Statement to Parliament on the Tivoli Commission of Enquiry by Patrick Atkinson, Attorney General, Tuesday, March 04, 2014" It should be noted that   no reliance was placed on the verbatim notes of the proceedings of the Snoring Commission which would have substantiated, or otherwise, the quotations in the public domain and the context in which the assertions were made. Interestingly, reference to such was strongly recommended by Velma Hylton herself in her response at the time. See Hylton Hiccups(2) As an attorney, more so as the PNP Government's principal legal advisor, it is of critical importance to embark on such research in order to make an "informed decision". Instead the Attorney- General, like all public commentators, soug...