Lead Stories

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer

Attorney General Dorothy Lightbourne has finally affixed her signature to the extradition order against Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, and Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn yesterday secured the required arrest warrant.

At the same time, Lightbourne's Senate colleague, Tom Tavares-Finson, has withdrawn as Coke's lawyer.

A government source told The Gleaner that the signed order was dispatched to Llewellyn who immediately secured the warrant for Coke's arrest from the court.

Lightbourne signed the extradition order nine months after it was placed on her desk.

As word spread that the order had been signed, residents of Tivoli Gardens mounted even more blockades at the entrances to their community as they kept watch on the area.

Tavares-Finson had hinted Monday to clashes between the security forces and gunmen in 1997 and 2001, the latter tallying 27 fatalities.

The resulting delay in the signing of the extradition request triggered a prolonged diplomatic stand-off between Jamaica and the United States which culminated in the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips controversy last week.

Accusations

The US State Department, last August, dispatched a 10-page indictment accusing Coke of the illicit trafficking of arms and drugs, as well as conspiracy, and requested that he be extradited to face the charges.

The US had named nine co-conspirators who had cited Coke as a major player in the arms and drug-running scheme.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding announced on Monday night that Lightbourne would be signing the extradition order.

Tavares-Finson's dual role as Coke's attorney and a government senator has frequently been questioned in the public domain.

But the lawyer served notice yesterday that he would be withdrawing as Coke's attorney.

Tavares-Finson is to be replaced by attorneys Jacqueline Samuels-Brown and Paul Beswick.

Earlier this year, Samuels-Brown successfully defended prominent St James businessman Presley Bingham in his extradition battle.

Coke and Bingham were on a shortlist of Jamaicans wanted in the US.

Stoic silence

Weeks after the extradition request reached Jamaica, the Government maintained stoic silence on the issue.

The parliamentary Opposition and the wider public grew impatient as the calls intensified, demanding a Government response.

Lightbourne refused to speak on the issue then, claiming that she was not in a position to do so.

Public consternation greeted a claim by the Opposition that the Government's failure to extradite Coke had precipitated a stand-off between Washington and Kingston.

But Lightbourne quickly dismissed the claims. "The Jamaican Government has indeed responded through the channels laid down in the extradition treaty between Jamaica and the United States, and there is ongoing communication between the authorities of both states," she said.

But, the sounds out of Washington signalled that it was less than pleased, and growing impatient with Jamaica's attitude to the extradition request.

gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com