(Jamaica Observer) Five well-known Jamaicans are among a number of witnesses whose statements the United States Government intends to use against Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, the diminutive and powerful Western Kingston don who has strong family and business connections in the constituency of Prime Minister Bruce Golding.
Highly placed authoritative sources have told the Sunday Observer that included in the five are three well-known underworld figures — one a convict deportee, another an accused against whom no convictions have been secured so far, and the third an individual currently residing in the US at the pleasure of that country’s federal prison system.
According to the sources, two of the three underworld figures are connected to Jamaica’s two major political parties — one to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party and the other to the Opposition People’s National Party.
The sources also say that both have been granted residency status in the United States in exchange for information against Coke, and at least two of the three are those referred to as co-conspirators in the indictment filed by American authorities against Coke.
The Sunday Observer sources also referred to the fourth and fifth witnesses as “professional informants”, meaning that they have given statements in their roles as career professionals.
Christopher Michael Coke, aka ‘Michael Christopher Coke’; ‘Paul Christopher Scott’; ‘Presi’; ‘General’; ‘President’; ‘Dudus’ and ‘Shortman’ was indicted on two counts — conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine, and conspiracy to traffic in firearms.
According to the indictment filed in the US District Court Southern District of New York, Coke and others known and unknown, “unlawfully, intentionally, and knowingly combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed together and with each other to violate the narcotics laws of the United States” in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere.
The alleged acts, the US said, were committed “from at least in or about 1994, up to and including in or about October 2007.”
The indictment also accused Coke and others of unlawfully, intentionally, and knowingly distributing and possessing with intent to distribute, 1,000 kilograms and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of marijuana, and five kilograms and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of cocaine in violation of Sections 812, 841(a) (1), and 841(b) (1) (A) of Title 21, United States Code.
The indictment also accuses Coke of illegally importing guns into Jamaica “via a wharf located adjacent to Tivoli Gardens” and outlines telephone conversations the US authorities say were conducted between Coke and a number of unnamed coconspirators regarding the shipment of guns and narcotics.
The Jamaican Government’s handling of the Americans’ extradition request for Coke, submitted last August, has soured relations between both countries in recent months.
Last December, Prime Minister Golding, in answering questions on the extradition posed in the Parliament by former national security minister Dr Peter Phillips, blamed the US for the delay in processing the extradition request.
According to Golding, Washington had not followed proper procedure in issuing the request and was in violation of Jamaican domestic laws.
“Most requests that have been received depend for their process on the provisions of the Extradition Treaty with the particular country and on the Extradition Act,” Golding said at the time. “This particular request is somewhat different in that it also relies for its validity on the provisions of the Mutual Assistance Criminal Matters Act. The Government of Jamaica has raised with the US authorities issues regarding its compliance with that Act.”
Golding, however, refused to state the breach, a position which infuriated Opposition MPs who argued that the explanation did not stand to reason and pressed for more details.
Last Monday, in its annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, Washington questioned Kingston’s commitment to law enforcement co-operation and blasted the Golding administration for procrastinating on the request.
“Jamaica’s processing of the extradition request has been subjected to unprecedented delays, unexplained disclosure of law enforcement information to the press, and unfounded allegations questioning the US’ compliance with the MLAT (Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty) and Jamaican law,” said the State Department.
“The Government of Jamaica’s unusual handling of the August request for the extradition of a high-profile Jamaican crime lord, with reported ties to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party, which currently holds a majority in Parliament, on alleged drug and firearms trafficking charges marked a dramatic change in Kingston’s previous co-operation on extradition, including a temporary suspension in the processing of all other pending requests and raises serious questions about the Government’s commitment to combating transnational crime,” the State Department said.
But the following day in the Parliament, Golding defended the Government’s decision not to begin the extradition process, arguing that the procedure used by the US to obtain evidence against Coke violated Jamaican law.
