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Brady is not a member of the JLP because his has not paid his memership dues since 200. But we are unsure if he was acting as a lawyer or party member in 2009? Similiar reasoning applies to Bruce, we are unsure if he was acting as PM or Party member.
Do we have anything on JLP letter head retaining Brady as a lawyer?
Do we have anything on JLP letter head stating that he was a member of the central executive?
If he was not acting as a lawyer is he free to reveal what he knows?
BY INGRID BROWN Observer senior reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
PRIME Minister Bruce Golding's declaration yesterday that Harold Brady is no longer a member of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and had been asked to resign from all Government boards was last night firmly denied by Brady, the local attorney at the centre of the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips controversy that has been nagging the Government for almost six months.
"Mr Brady was asked to resign from all Government boards (and) Mr Brady is no longer a member of the party," Golding told journalists at a news conference at Jamaica House.
GOLDING... says Brady misled Manatt
BRADY... denies being asked to resign from Gov’t boards
1/2
The prime minister repeated an allegation that Brady misled Manatt — a US law firm — into believing that he was retaining its services on behalf of the Jamaican Government instead of the JLP, to lobby US authorities in the extradition case of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who the Americans have accused of trafficking in drugs and arms.
But last night, Brady told the Observer that not only was he still a member of the party, but also a member of the JLP's Central Executive, the party's highest decision-making body outside of its annual conference.
"I am still a member of the party, and so that is not true," Brady said.
He also denied that he was asked to resign from any Government board.
However, yesterday evening, one JLP official told the Observer that Golding's statement was true as Brady was not a paid-up member of the party.
"The last membership payment we have on file for Mr Brady was made in January 2007," said a party official who opted not to be named. "That payment was $1,500 representing membership fees for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007. So realistically, his membership is not in good standing."
Meanwhile, Golding said a suggestion that the party report Brady to the General Legal Council was not being given much thought now because of a number of technicalities involved.
"One has to do with what capacity was Mr Brady acting in... was he acting as a lawyer or was he acting as a party supporter and former member of the party," Golding said of the attorney's actions in the Manatt affair.
Golding said Brady was asked to "take the initial steps that he took" because of his long association with the party and the international contacts he had.
Golding explained further that Brady first became involved in the issue when he was asked to speak with a former chairman of the US Republican party to assist in getting greater attention from Washington as Kingston felt it was being stonewalled by the US when Jamaica House raised concerns about the wiretap evidence the Americans presented against Coke which, Golding said, breached Jamaican law.
"In the initial engagement with the US we were being stonewalled... we were being told we have nothing more to say to you or send you, we have sent you the extradition request, just sign it and get going and we said no, there are issues we have to raise and we couldn't get past that wall," Golding said.
He explained further that Brady was later referred to Chuck Manatt of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips who, as a Democrat, had closer ties to the Barack Obama administration.
But according to Golding, Brady was informed that the law firm could help only if it was retained.
"When that was reported to me by Brady that is when I should have said absolutely not," Golding said.
"From Mr Brady went and engaged the services of Manatt that is where it went off in directions we didn't intend, and directions which, in some respects, I was learning about only after the matter was reported in Parliament," he added further.
Golding reiterated that the Government has written to the law firm challenging it to provide any evidence that it was hired by the Government and not the JLP.
"I cannot believe that a firm as reputable as that can argue that someone walks off the street to engage their services on behalf of the Jamaican Government and they don't say what authorisation do you have; do you have a letter from the attorney general; can we get confirmation that you are so authorised from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they just write it up as a contract?" Golding questioned.
He noted that in the contract there is a clause noting that the firm will represent and act for Harold Brady and Company and no other persons and that it was only on the back end did it say Harold Brady and Company on behalf of the Government of Jamaica.
"It is clear to me again, and I have no facts to ground this, but it appears to me that it was represented to Manatt that I (Brady) was authorised to act on behalf of the Government and I am engaging your services to act," Golding said.
Asked why former junior foreign minister Dr Ronald Robinson was a casualty of the Manatt issue, Golding said he ignored and disobeyed orders.
Robinson was in April this year identified as the Government official who met with Manatt officials.
"He was engaged in some of the activities involving Manatt which went contrary to the specific instruction that was given by me to both Brady and himself and on the basis that my instructions had been ignored and disobeyed and in discussions he offered to resign and I accepted his resignation," Golding said.
Brady is not a member of the JLP because his has not paid his memership dues since 200. But we are unsure if he was acting as a lawyer or party member in 2009? Similiar reasoning applies to Bruce, we are unsure if he was acting as PM or Party member.
Do we have anything on JLP letter head retaining Brady as a lawyer?
Do we have anything on JLP letter head stating that he was a member of the central executive?
If he was not acting as a lawyer is he free to reveal what he knows?
BY INGRID BROWN Observer senior reporter browni@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
PRIME Minister Bruce Golding's declaration yesterday that Harold Brady is no longer a member of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and had been asked to resign from all Government boards was last night firmly denied by Brady, the local attorney at the centre of the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips controversy that has been nagging the Government for almost six months.
"Mr Brady was asked to resign from all Government boards (and) Mr Brady is no longer a member of the party," Golding told journalists at a news conference at Jamaica House.
GOLDING... says Brady misled Manatt
BRADY... denies being asked to resign from Gov’t boards
1/2 The prime minister repeated an allegation that Brady misled Manatt — a US law firm — into believing that he was retaining its services on behalf of the Jamaican Government instead of the JLP, to lobby US authorities in the extradition case of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who the Americans have accused of trafficking in drugs and arms.
But last night, Brady told the Observer that not only was he still a member of the party, but also a member of the JLP's Central Executive, the party's highest decision-making body outside of its annual conference.
"I am still a member of the party, and so that is not true," Brady said.
He also denied that he was asked to resign from any Government board.
However, yesterday evening, one JLP official told the Observer that Golding's statement was true as Brady was not a paid-up member of the party.
"The last membership payment we have on file for Mr Brady was made in January 2007," said a party official who opted not to be named. "That payment was $1,500 representing membership fees for the years 2005, 2006 and 2007. So realistically, his membership is not in good standing."
Meanwhile, Golding said a suggestion that the party report Brady to the General Legal Council was not being given much thought now because of a number of technicalities involved.
"One has to do with what capacity was Mr Brady acting in... was he acting as a lawyer or was he acting as a party supporter and former member of the party," Golding said of the attorney's actions in the Manatt affair.
Golding said Brady was asked to "take the initial steps that he took" because of his long association with the party and the international contacts he had.
Golding explained further that Brady first became involved in the issue when he was asked to speak with a former chairman of the US Republican party to assist in getting greater attention from Washington as Kingston felt it was being stonewalled by the US when Jamaica House raised concerns about the wiretap evidence the Americans presented against Coke which, Golding said, breached Jamaican law.
"In the initial engagement with the US we were being stonewalled... we were being told we have nothing more to say to you or send you, we have sent you the extradition request, just sign it and get going and we said no, there are issues we have to raise and we couldn't get past that wall," Golding said.
He explained further that Brady was later referred to Chuck Manatt of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips who, as a Democrat, had closer ties to the Barack Obama administration.
But according to Golding, Brady was informed that the law firm could help only if it was retained.
"When that was reported to me by Brady that is when I should have said absolutely not," Golding said.
"From Mr Brady went and engaged the services of Manatt that is where it went off in directions we didn't intend, and directions which, in some respects, I was learning about only after the matter was reported in Parliament," he added further.
Golding reiterated that the Government has written to the law firm challenging it to provide any evidence that it was hired by the Government and not the JLP.
"I cannot believe that a firm as reputable as that can argue that someone walks off the street to engage their services on behalf of the Jamaican Government and they don't say what authorisation do you have; do you have a letter from the attorney general; can we get confirmation that you are so authorised from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they just write it up as a contract?" Golding questioned.
He noted that in the contract there is a clause noting that the firm will represent and act for Harold Brady and Company and no other persons and that it was only on the back end did it say Harold Brady and Company on behalf of the Government of Jamaica.
"It is clear to me again, and I have no facts to ground this, but it appears to me that it was represented to Manatt that I (Brady) was authorised to act on behalf of the Government and I am engaging your services to act," Golding said.
Asked why former junior foreign minister Dr Ronald Robinson was a casualty of the Manatt issue, Golding said he ignored and disobeyed orders.
Robinson was in April this year identified as the Government official who met with Manatt officials.
"He was engaged in some of the activities involving Manatt which went contrary to the specific instruction that was given by me to both Brady and himself and on the basis that my instructions had been ignored and disobeyed and in discussions he offered to resign and I accepted his resignation," Golding said.
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