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US gathering evidence on Manatt affair
Friday, 16 April 2010
News is emerging that US officials are gathering evidence to confirm that a member of the Jamaican government travelled overseas for talks with the US law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips on extradition matters.
Digging for clues
Well-known Florida-based attorney-at law, Professor David Rowe, on Thursday night claimed there are records from a US airline of a Cabinet Minister travelling with attorney-at law Harold Brady to Washington.
Mr. Rowe claims the records have been requisitioned by the House Judiciary Committee in the United States which is looking into the controversial dealings between Manatt and the Government.
"The government was obviously knowledgeable of the Manatt lobbying effort. The government directed the Manatt lobbying effort and that a Cabinet minister is involved in the Manatt lobbying effort; that was an open secret in Washington circles. In fact I believe American Airlines would have already provided the records of a particular Cabinet minister traveling with Harold Brady to Washington to Kingston," Professor Rowe said.
Washington Post reporter, Dan Eggen in an article published Thursday claimed that at one of the meetings in mid-December involving Manatt, Phelps and Phillips and the Obama administration a Cabinet Minister was in attendance.
The Golding administration has denied that any member of the political directorate was involved in any such meeting, and has acknowledged only an encounter involving Solicitor General Douglas Leys.
Manatt PR nightmare
In the meantime, Mr. Eggen says the deepening controversy has become a public relations nightmare for Manatt, Phelps and Phillips as well as the Obama administration.
Mr. Eggen says if allegations that discussions were held on the Christopher Coke extradition request are true, then it was unusual for the Jamaican government to have hired a lobbying firm to handle the matter.
"I doubt that Manatt is enjoying the publicity surrounding this case because of the question of where the money came from but so far it doesn't look as if there is any legal liability to them,"
"It is also embarrassing for the Obama administration now that someone who is purporting to be acting on behalf of the Government of Jamaica and now the Government of Jamaica says they weren't acting on their behalf its not a position that the Obama administration wants to be in," Mr. Eggen said.
In his article Thursday, Mr. Eggen reported that Manatt, Phelps and Phillips had at least six contacts with officials of the Obama administration late last year into early this year in a bid to influence policy on the extradition issue.
He also said that officials of the Obama administration continue to insist that they believed that all discussions regarding the extradition issue were with representatives of the Jamaican government, and not private interests.
Something to hide
And the Parliamentary Opposition is describing as extremely disturbing the Golding administration's deafening silence since a damning statement made a week ago by one of the players in the Manatt Affair.
The Government has said nothing since attorney Harold Brady hinted that there was more to the deepening saga than had been made public.
Chairman of the PNP's Communications Commission, Dr. Peter Phillips, says this is a clear sign that the Government has something to hide.
"The Government is not doing itself or Jamaica any credit by maintaining silence in this matter. I think we are left to believe that the truth is so damaging to the government, so damning of their whole approach that they are reluctant to speak to the people," Dr. Phillips said.
In a radio interview, Mr. Brady, suggested that he and Information Minister Daryl Vaz knew more than they were letting on.
His comment also seemed to suggest that the information, if revealed, would be damaging to Mr. Vaz.
US gathering evidence on Manatt affair
Friday, 16 April 2010
News is emerging that US officials are gathering evidence to confirm that a member of the Jamaican government travelled overseas for talks with the US law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips on extradition matters.
Digging for clues
Well-known Florida-based attorney-at law, Professor David Rowe, on Thursday night claimed there are records from a US airline of a Cabinet Minister travelling with attorney-at law Harold Brady to Washington.
Mr. Rowe claims the records have been requisitioned by the House Judiciary Committee in the United States which is looking into the controversial dealings between Manatt and the Government.
"The government was obviously knowledgeable of the Manatt lobbying effort. The government directed the Manatt lobbying effort and that a Cabinet minister is involved in the Manatt lobbying effort; that was an open secret in Washington circles. In fact I believe American Airlines would have already provided the records of a particular Cabinet minister traveling with Harold Brady to Washington to Kingston," Professor Rowe said.
Washington Post reporter, Dan Eggen in an article published Thursday claimed that at one of the meetings in mid-December involving Manatt, Phelps and Phillips and the Obama administration a Cabinet Minister was in attendance.
The Golding administration has denied that any member of the political directorate was involved in any such meeting, and has acknowledged only an encounter involving Solicitor General Douglas Leys.
Manatt PR nightmare
In the meantime, Mr. Eggen says the deepening controversy has become a public relations nightmare for Manatt, Phelps and Phillips as well as the Obama administration.
Mr. Eggen says if allegations that discussions were held on the Christopher Coke extradition request are true, then it was unusual for the Jamaican government to have hired a lobbying firm to handle the matter.
"I doubt that Manatt is enjoying the publicity surrounding this case because of the question of where the money came from but so far it doesn't look as if there is any legal liability to them,"
"It is also embarrassing for the Obama administration now that someone who is purporting to be acting on behalf of the Government of Jamaica and now the Government of Jamaica says they weren't acting on their behalf its not a position that the Obama administration wants to be in," Mr. Eggen said.
In his article Thursday, Mr. Eggen reported that Manatt, Phelps and Phillips had at least six contacts with officials of the Obama administration late last year into early this year in a bid to influence policy on the extradition issue.
He also said that officials of the Obama administration continue to insist that they believed that all discussions regarding the extradition issue were with representatives of the Jamaican government, and not private interests.
Something to hide
And the Parliamentary Opposition is describing as extremely disturbing the Golding administration's deafening silence since a damning statement made a week ago by one of the players in the Manatt Affair.
The Government has said nothing since attorney Harold Brady hinted that there was more to the deepening saga than had been made public.
Chairman of the PNP's Communications Commission, Dr. Peter Phillips, says this is a clear sign that the Government has something to hide.
"The Government is not doing itself or Jamaica any credit by maintaining silence in this matter. I think we are left to believe that the truth is so damaging to the government, so damning of their whole approach that they are reluctant to speak to the people," Dr. Phillips said.
In a radio interview, Mr. Brady, suggested that he and Information Minister Daryl Vaz knew more than they were letting on.
His comment also seemed to suggest that the information, if revealed, would be damaging to Mr. Vaz.
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