'Prove it, Lewin'
Published:Thursday | July 8, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Bruce Golding has challenged Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, the former police commissioner, to provide facts to back up his allegations that ousted west Kingston strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke was tipped off about the pending extradition request minutes after National Security Minister Dwight Nelson was briefed.
"All he has said is that in the 15 minutes he left Minister Nelson and came to me Coke was tipped off and bolted into Tivoli. Now, what I know of Tivoli is that Coke was there every day, so in a sense he bolts there every day," Golding told journalists in Montego Bay, St James, yesterday.
"But Mr Lewin cannot be allowed to stop there because even if each of us can make these unsubstantiated allegations and then people are demanding a commission of enquiry to determine the truth of those allegations, he must go further.
"He must say the basis on which I made that statement is as follows, so that we have something to respond to," added Golding.
The prime minister said when he was called by the security minister following the briefing by the then police commissioner, he had no idea what the matter was about, except that Lewin wanted to speak with him about a person in his constituency.
According to Golding, it was when Lewin arrived at Vale Royal, approximately 15 minutes after being initially telephoned, that he discovered the details of the matter.
Golding told journalists that he was unable to say if legal action will be taken against Lewin.
"I understand that Minister Nelson has raised that issue and it is something that I will have to discuss with him," Golding said.
But he was under no illusion that even a court victory would remove the stain caused by the allegations.
"The problem with these things is, with the kind of media that you have today, scurrilous, unsubstantiated allegations or innuendoes have a DNA effect. You can never remove it.
"Even if Mr Lewin is called upon, whether through a commission of enquiry or through a lawsuit, even if he is called upon to prove it and he can't, the damage has already been done," he added.
Just over a week ago, Lewin claimed that 15 minutes after he briefed the national security minister about the pending request for Coke, the alleged drug kingpin was tipped off and retreated into his Tivoli Gardens stronghold.
The allegation was immediately dismissed by Nelson, who threatened legal action, while poring over the Official Secrets Act to determine if the former police commissioner had broken confidentiality clauses.
Lewin said Monday that history would vindicate him for his controversial revelation.