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More revelations about Manatt Affair
Reactions have come in to revelations that it was the Bruce Golding-led administration and not the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) that engaged the United States-based law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips to handle the extradition request for Christopher "Dudus" Coke.
The information is reportedly contained in a statement from former Junior Foreign Minister and Senator, Dr. Ronald Robinson, to the Manatt/Dudus Commission of Enquiry.
Dr Ronald Robinson resigned from both positions last year during the height of the Coke extradition saga.
Among the reasons given for his resignation were two "inappropriate" meetings with lawyers from the Manatt.
However, Dr. Robinson now says he did not act independently but was instructed by the Prime Minister to meet with officials from Manatt to brief them on Jamaica's concerns with the August 2009 extradition request.
Instructed to meet with Manatt officials
In his statement, Dr. Robinson said around November 17 or 18 of 2009, he met with the Prime Minister and Harold Brady, the attorney at the centre of the ensuing controversy, and was advised that a meeting had been arranged with the US State Department to discuss the "breach" of the extradition treaty by the US and "the dilemma" faced by the attorney general of Jamaica.
Dr. Robinson, according to the statement, was supposed to inform the Manatt lawyers about Jamaica’s position ahead of the State Department meeting.
Dr. Robinson said the Prieme Minister "instructed me to go to Washington to meet with the principals of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips to brief them. My presence would also give some credence and strength to Mr. Brady’s involvement."
According to Dr. Robinson, Mr. Golding undertook to advise Foreign Minister Dr. Ken Baugh of the travel plans and he then flew to Washington the day following the meeting with the Prime Minister.
Dr. Robinson added that he briefed the Prime Minister about the outcome of his meeting on his return to Jamaica.
Manatt involed early in the process – Dr. Ashley
These revelations, according to political commentator Dr. Paul Ashley, support the widely held view that the Government hired Manatt and Dr. Robinson was made the fall guy.
In an interview with RJR News on Sunday, Dr. Ashley said the contents of Dr. Robinson's statement to the Commission also show that Manatt was engaged in the extradition process months in advance.
"It is clear that Manatt, Phelps and Phillips was invovled in meetings with the US State Department before the delegation including the Solicitor General and Ambassador Evadne Coye, Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and others. They had meeting on behalf of the Jamaican Government one month before. What is also important is that evidence is now in the public that the Government of Jamaica delegation was expanded to include representatives of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips,” said Dr. Ashley.
Manatt official part of J’can delegation to meet US officials
On the first day of the sittings of the Manatt Enquiry, Ambassador Coye testified that as Jamaica and the US wrestled over the extradition request for Mr. Coke, a delegation comprising her, Solicitor General Douglas Leys, and Deputy Solicitor General Lackston Robinson was sent abroad to meet with US officials.
Miss Coye revealed how she took Mr. Leys to task when he included an American, unknown to her, in the Jamaica delegation to meet with US officials in Washington.
She said she flatly told Leys that they were not authorized to increase the size of the delegation.
But she said her protestations were firmly dismissed by Mr. Leys, who told her that "his minister – Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne – knows about it".
Ambassador Coye also revealed that also included in the Jamaican delegation was American Kevin diGregory, a representative of Manatt.
She noted that to her knowledge, up to this point, Mr. Brady had not come into the picture.
Under cross-examination by attorney for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Frank Phipps, Ambassador Coye stressed that she was acting on behalf of the Jamaican Government and not the JLP.
What really led to Dr. Robinson’s resignation?
According to Dr. Ashley, Dr. Robinson's statement also raises several questions.
"If Senator Robinson was acting on the instruction of the Prime Minister and reported the outcome of his meeting to the Prime Minister, why then was he either forced, cajoled of enticed to resign, that is the million dollar question that the Commission would be interested to find out the real reason," Dr. Ashley stated.
Contact “influential figures” in the US
Dr. Robinson's statement to the Manatt/Dudus Commission of Enquiry is vastly different from the Prime Minister's.
In his signed statement, Mr. Golding did not say whether he had approved Dr. Robinson's meeting with Manatt’s lawyers.
It only spoke of a September 6, 2009 meeting with Mr. Brady and Dr. Robinson about the difficulties surrounding the extradition request which needed to be resolved.
According to Mr. Golding’s statement, the men suggested that the impasse could not be resolved at the level of dialogue with the US Embassy in Kingston, "especially in view of the publicity that the extradition request had attracted".
The Prime Minister said, Dr. Robinson and Mr. Brady, suggested that contact be made with "influential figures" in the US, with a view of helping to resolve the issues over the extradition request, which the Golding administration was adamant contained wiretap evidence that had been illegally obtained and was in breach of Coke’s constitutional rights.
Mr. Golding said he then instructed the men to proceed with their plans to engage these "influential figures" in the US.
Both Dr. Robinson and the Prime Minister are expected to testify before the Enquiry.
http://rjrnewsonline.com/news/local/...-manatt-affair
Reactions have come in to revelations that it was the Bruce Golding-led administration and not the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) that engaged the United States-based law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips to handle the extradition request for Christopher "Dudus" Coke.
The information is reportedly contained in a statement from former Junior Foreign Minister and Senator, Dr. Ronald Robinson, to the Manatt/Dudus Commission of Enquiry.
Dr Ronald Robinson resigned from both positions last year during the height of the Coke extradition saga.
Among the reasons given for his resignation were two "inappropriate" meetings with lawyers from the Manatt.
However, Dr. Robinson now says he did not act independently but was instructed by the Prime Minister to meet with officials from Manatt to brief them on Jamaica's concerns with the August 2009 extradition request.
Instructed to meet with Manatt officials
In his statement, Dr. Robinson said around November 17 or 18 of 2009, he met with the Prime Minister and Harold Brady, the attorney at the centre of the ensuing controversy, and was advised that a meeting had been arranged with the US State Department to discuss the "breach" of the extradition treaty by the US and "the dilemma" faced by the attorney general of Jamaica.
Dr. Robinson, according to the statement, was supposed to inform the Manatt lawyers about Jamaica’s position ahead of the State Department meeting.
Dr. Robinson said the Prieme Minister "instructed me to go to Washington to meet with the principals of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips to brief them. My presence would also give some credence and strength to Mr. Brady’s involvement."
According to Dr. Robinson, Mr. Golding undertook to advise Foreign Minister Dr. Ken Baugh of the travel plans and he then flew to Washington the day following the meeting with the Prime Minister.
Dr. Robinson added that he briefed the Prime Minister about the outcome of his meeting on his return to Jamaica.
Manatt involed early in the process – Dr. Ashley
These revelations, according to political commentator Dr. Paul Ashley, support the widely held view that the Government hired Manatt and Dr. Robinson was made the fall guy.
In an interview with RJR News on Sunday, Dr. Ashley said the contents of Dr. Robinson's statement to the Commission also show that Manatt was engaged in the extradition process months in advance.
"It is clear that Manatt, Phelps and Phillips was invovled in meetings with the US State Department before the delegation including the Solicitor General and Ambassador Evadne Coye, Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and others. They had meeting on behalf of the Jamaican Government one month before. What is also important is that evidence is now in the public that the Government of Jamaica delegation was expanded to include representatives of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips,” said Dr. Ashley.
Manatt official part of J’can delegation to meet US officials
On the first day of the sittings of the Manatt Enquiry, Ambassador Coye testified that as Jamaica and the US wrestled over the extradition request for Mr. Coke, a delegation comprising her, Solicitor General Douglas Leys, and Deputy Solicitor General Lackston Robinson was sent abroad to meet with US officials.
Miss Coye revealed how she took Mr. Leys to task when he included an American, unknown to her, in the Jamaica delegation to meet with US officials in Washington.
She said she flatly told Leys that they were not authorized to increase the size of the delegation.
But she said her protestations were firmly dismissed by Mr. Leys, who told her that "his minister – Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne – knows about it".
Ambassador Coye also revealed that also included in the Jamaican delegation was American Kevin diGregory, a representative of Manatt.
She noted that to her knowledge, up to this point, Mr. Brady had not come into the picture.
Under cross-examination by attorney for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Frank Phipps, Ambassador Coye stressed that she was acting on behalf of the Jamaican Government and not the JLP.
What really led to Dr. Robinson’s resignation?
According to Dr. Ashley, Dr. Robinson's statement also raises several questions.
"If Senator Robinson was acting on the instruction of the Prime Minister and reported the outcome of his meeting to the Prime Minister, why then was he either forced, cajoled of enticed to resign, that is the million dollar question that the Commission would be interested to find out the real reason," Dr. Ashley stated.
Contact “influential figures” in the US
Dr. Robinson's statement to the Manatt/Dudus Commission of Enquiry is vastly different from the Prime Minister's.
In his signed statement, Mr. Golding did not say whether he had approved Dr. Robinson's meeting with Manatt’s lawyers.
It only spoke of a September 6, 2009 meeting with Mr. Brady and Dr. Robinson about the difficulties surrounding the extradition request which needed to be resolved.
According to Mr. Golding’s statement, the men suggested that the impasse could not be resolved at the level of dialogue with the US Embassy in Kingston, "especially in view of the publicity that the extradition request had attracted".
The Prime Minister said, Dr. Robinson and Mr. Brady, suggested that contact be made with "influential figures" in the US, with a view of helping to resolve the issues over the extradition request, which the Golding administration was adamant contained wiretap evidence that had been illegally obtained and was in breach of Coke’s constitutional rights.
Mr. Golding said he then instructed the men to proceed with their plans to engage these "influential figures" in the US.
Both Dr. Robinson and the Prime Minister are expected to testify before the Enquiry.
http://rjrnewsonline.com/news/local/...-manatt-affair
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