(Jamaica Gleaner) Solicitor General Douglas Leys has now contradicted statements made by Prime Minister Bruce Golding that Jamaica was being stonewalled by the United States government for nearly a month after their request for the extradition of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.
Leys, who is in his second day giving evidence before the Dudus/Manatt commission of enquiry this morning, yesterday said he disagreed that there was a stalemate between the two countries between August 25, 2009, when the extradition request was first made, and September 18, 2009.
He was responding to questions put to him by People’s National Party (PNP) attorney, K D Knight, who read from statements made by Golding during a Jamaica House press conference last September.
Seeking to explain the hiring of the US law firm, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, Golding told journalists last September that local attorney Harold Brady was asked to use his international contacts to help Jamaica resolve a stalemate that had developed between the two countries.
“I would not agree with this. Between those two dates (August 25, 2009 and September 18, 2009) and the two countries there was no stalemate, not at that point in time,” the Solicitor General testified.
Leys testified that the first time Jamaica expressed concerns about the request was on September 26, 2009, nearly one month after receiving the request.
KD Knight was seeking to have the solicitor general make further pronouncements on the Prime Minister’s broadcast to the nation when he was interrupted by Mr Golding’s attorney Hugh Small. Small believed that Leys was being asked to form an opinion and he insisted that commission chairman Emil George disallows the question.
The commission chairman upheld the objection despite protests from Knight.
