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Phillips lashes Golding over 'Dudus' issue
BY KARYL WALKER Crime/Court Desk Co-ordinator walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, March 12, 2010
FORMER National Security Minister Dr Peter Phillips last night branded as "misguided" and a "political red herring", Prime Minister Bruce Golding's announcement that the evidence presented by the United States in its extradition request for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke had breached the Interception of Communications Act.
Phillips, in an address to a Kiwanis Club of North St Andrew meeting at the Police Officers' Club in the Jamaican capital, said Golding seemed more concerned about protecting his political self-interest than the interest of the nation.
"There appears to be an apparent confusion in the minds of those who govern between their obligation as a government to the public interest and their obligation to their political self-interest," Phillips said.
He also blasted Golding's handling, in the public domain, of the extradition request and repeated his call that the issue be dealt with in a court of law.
"All that Jamaica needs to concern itself about is that there is a prima facie case to be answered in a specific jurisdiction. We cannot debate and make an assessment of this evidence within the public domain. It is going to erode public confidence in political authority," said Phillips who emphasised that he was not arguing for anyone's extradition but for the court to decide on the matter.
Golding has come under severe criticism for his defence of Coke, regarded as the don for Tivoli Gardens, a community that is fiercely loyal to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party and which sits in Golding's West Kingston constituency.
The US Government has accused Coke of drug- and gun-trafficking and last August submitted a request for his extradition. But Jamaica's delay in processing the request has drawn strong rebuke from Washington which has questioned Kingston's commitment to law enforcement co-operation.
The US has also accused the Golding administration of unprecedented delays, unexplained disclosure of law enforcement information to the press, and unfounded allegations questioning the US' compliance with the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and Jamaican law.
Golding, in response, said that the evidence supporting the extradition request violated the Interception of Communications Act, which makes strict provisions for the manner in which intercepted communications may be obtained and disclosed.
However, he said his Government had assured the Americans that if they have other evidence against Coke, "the procurement and disclosure of which were not in violation of Jamaican law", the justice minister would be prepared to accept that evidence and issue the necessary authority to proceed.
Last night, Phillips warned that the country faced "an imminent threat... from transnational organised criminal networks".
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...olding_7481403
BY KARYL WALKER Crime/Court Desk Co-ordinator walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, March 12, 2010
FORMER National Security Minister Dr Peter Phillips last night branded as "misguided" and a "political red herring", Prime Minister Bruce Golding's announcement that the evidence presented by the United States in its extradition request for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke had breached the Interception of Communications Act.
Phillips, in an address to a Kiwanis Club of North St Andrew meeting at the Police Officers' Club in the Jamaican capital, said Golding seemed more concerned about protecting his political self-interest than the interest of the nation.
"There appears to be an apparent confusion in the minds of those who govern between their obligation as a government to the public interest and their obligation to their political self-interest," Phillips said.
He also blasted Golding's handling, in the public domain, of the extradition request and repeated his call that the issue be dealt with in a court of law.
"All that Jamaica needs to concern itself about is that there is a prima facie case to be answered in a specific jurisdiction. We cannot debate and make an assessment of this evidence within the public domain. It is going to erode public confidence in political authority," said Phillips who emphasised that he was not arguing for anyone's extradition but for the court to decide on the matter.
Golding has come under severe criticism for his defence of Coke, regarded as the don for Tivoli Gardens, a community that is fiercely loyal to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party and which sits in Golding's West Kingston constituency.
The US Government has accused Coke of drug- and gun-trafficking and last August submitted a request for his extradition. But Jamaica's delay in processing the request has drawn strong rebuke from Washington which has questioned Kingston's commitment to law enforcement co-operation.
The US has also accused the Golding administration of unprecedented delays, unexplained disclosure of law enforcement information to the press, and unfounded allegations questioning the US' compliance with the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and Jamaican law.
Golding, in response, said that the evidence supporting the extradition request violated the Interception of Communications Act, which makes strict provisions for the manner in which intercepted communications may be obtained and disclosed.
However, he said his Government had assured the Americans that if they have other evidence against Coke, "the procurement and disclosure of which were not in violation of Jamaican law", the justice minister would be prepared to accept that evidence and issue the necessary authority to proceed.
Last night, Phillips warned that the country faced "an imminent threat... from transnational organised criminal networks".
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...olding_7481403
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