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Activist makes damning charges by Angela Brown Burke on Monday, November 15, 2010 at 9:12am Article Published:
Sunday Herald Sunday, November 14th, 2010
Charges of gun running, murder and political violence allegedly perpetrated by a government minist...er form the basis of sworn statements supporting a request for asylum in the United States by a top-ranking Jamaica Labour Party activist. The allegations, by the activist, a survivor of three attempts on his life, were made in a 67-page sworn statement to the Southern District Court in Miami last Tuesday. A copy of the statement which was obtained by the Sunday Herald, was also delivered to the US Embassy in Jamaica. The activist, whose name has been withheld for security reasons, painted a picture of a criminal organization manned by young men aligned to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party under the command of the minister, who the asylum seeker claimed, provided them with arms and money. According to the activist/asylum seeker, their main function was to intimidate and kill political opponents and those within the gang who fell out of line. In his statement he made damning allegations that he was approached by the minister and asked to organise the killing of one his strong-arm men, who apparently had got too big for his breeches. According to the asylum seeker the minister turned to him after two of his gangsters who were paid to do the job failed to carry out his instructions.
It later turned out that unknown to the minister one of the contracted killers was related to the would be victim. The strong-arm man was later gunned down at his business place. Police linked his death to a feud over a contract between himself and another gangster, reputed to be the triggerman in the 1980 political murder of then People’s National Party Member of Parliament Roy McGann. Target for murder The activist who says he is living in fear disclosed that after the strong-arm man was killed, three men gunned down his (the activist) mother at her business place. Police records have corroborated that killing. The activist maintained that he has credible information that the alleged killers are aligned to the JLP and that they were paid to carry out the hit. He stated the police told him later that they went and warned his mother that they had credible information that her life was in danger. However, he said at the time, he was not aware of this information. After his mother’s killing, he alleges that three attempts were made to kill him. “The police acknowledge the first attempt and were not able to protect me.
They had intelligence that it was going to take place and it was only after I was ambushed two times during a 12-mile drive from the supermarket to my home,” he stated. He said he escaped the first attempt and drove 200 meters where he was attacked again. He claimed that he called the police who told him that a police patrol was dispatched to cover the route, however they had received an emergency call to which they responded. The second attempt occurred shortly after that incident when a gunman fired several shots at him at point blank range. He said a customer who was close by was shot four times. Then in 2009 while returning from a meeting at the US embassy, he said two men with rifles attacked him and he was injured during that attack. One of his attackers was charged and was now facing trial.
Informed authorities The activist/asylum seeker told the US authorities that he has given all the information available to him to top ranking police officers Glenmore Hinds, former deputy Mark Shields and assistant commissioner Les Green and also to Prime Minister Bruce Golding via a letter, which he said was delivered to the PM personally. The activist said he would like copies of his statement to be sent to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, FBI, investigators probing Olint, Homeland Security and those investigating the activities of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke. He alleged that while awaiting extradition, the accused minister tried to get Coke out to Venezuela. The plan flopped because Coke wanted to take more than five persons who could be accommodated on the trip and the plan fell apart.
Apart from intimidating political opponents, the asylum seeker charged that in one case a contract was taken out on the life of PNP caretaker. Two men were sent to execute the contract but the activist said a group of his supporters who were present when the attack should have taken place took evasive action by rushing the caretaker inside a house. The activist assured that he was willing to testify in order to bring members of the criminal organization and its backers to justice.
Sunday Herald Sunday, November 14th, 2010
Charges of gun running, murder and political violence allegedly perpetrated by a government minist...er form the basis of sworn statements supporting a request for asylum in the United States by a top-ranking Jamaica Labour Party activist. The allegations, by the activist, a survivor of three attempts on his life, were made in a 67-page sworn statement to the Southern District Court in Miami last Tuesday. A copy of the statement which was obtained by the Sunday Herald, was also delivered to the US Embassy in Jamaica. The activist, whose name has been withheld for security reasons, painted a picture of a criminal organization manned by young men aligned to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party under the command of the minister, who the asylum seeker claimed, provided them with arms and money. According to the activist/asylum seeker, their main function was to intimidate and kill political opponents and those within the gang who fell out of line. In his statement he made damning allegations that he was approached by the minister and asked to organise the killing of one his strong-arm men, who apparently had got too big for his breeches. According to the asylum seeker the minister turned to him after two of his gangsters who were paid to do the job failed to carry out his instructions.
It later turned out that unknown to the minister one of the contracted killers was related to the would be victim. The strong-arm man was later gunned down at his business place. Police linked his death to a feud over a contract between himself and another gangster, reputed to be the triggerman in the 1980 political murder of then People’s National Party Member of Parliament Roy McGann. Target for murder The activist who says he is living in fear disclosed that after the strong-arm man was killed, three men gunned down his (the activist) mother at her business place. Police records have corroborated that killing. The activist maintained that he has credible information that the alleged killers are aligned to the JLP and that they were paid to carry out the hit. He stated the police told him later that they went and warned his mother that they had credible information that her life was in danger. However, he said at the time, he was not aware of this information. After his mother’s killing, he alleges that three attempts were made to kill him. “The police acknowledge the first attempt and were not able to protect me.
They had intelligence that it was going to take place and it was only after I was ambushed two times during a 12-mile drive from the supermarket to my home,” he stated. He said he escaped the first attempt and drove 200 meters where he was attacked again. He claimed that he called the police who told him that a police patrol was dispatched to cover the route, however they had received an emergency call to which they responded. The second attempt occurred shortly after that incident when a gunman fired several shots at him at point blank range. He said a customer who was close by was shot four times. Then in 2009 while returning from a meeting at the US embassy, he said two men with rifles attacked him and he was injured during that attack. One of his attackers was charged and was now facing trial.
Informed authorities The activist/asylum seeker told the US authorities that he has given all the information available to him to top ranking police officers Glenmore Hinds, former deputy Mark Shields and assistant commissioner Les Green and also to Prime Minister Bruce Golding via a letter, which he said was delivered to the PM personally. The activist said he would like copies of his statement to be sent to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, FBI, investigators probing Olint, Homeland Security and those investigating the activities of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke. He alleged that while awaiting extradition, the accused minister tried to get Coke out to Venezuela. The plan flopped because Coke wanted to take more than five persons who could be accommodated on the trip and the plan fell apart.
Apart from intimidating political opponents, the asylum seeker charged that in one case a contract was taken out on the life of PNP caretaker. Two men were sent to execute the contract but the activist said a group of his supporters who were present when the attack should have taken place took evasive action by rushing the caretaker inside a house. The activist assured that he was willing to testify in order to bring members of the criminal organization and its backers to justice.
see mi 'ere!
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