KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The main opposition People’s National Party (PNP) has renewed its call for a Commission of Inquiry into the events surrounding the extradition of reputed gang leader, Christopher “Dudus” Coke to the United States after newspaper reports suggested that the Jamaica government had played a more significant role in seeking to stop the extradition.

Coke is in a United States jail awaiting trial on a number of drug and gun trafficking related charges. He was arrested after the security forces were involved in clashes with gunmen loyal to the reputed leader of the notorious Shower Posse gang. At least 76 persons including 73 civilians were killed during the operations.

The ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has since instituted a media blackout following an emergency meeting on Sunday and senior party officials said that no one had been authorized to speak publicly on the latest development after the Gleaner newspaper published emails showing correspondence between senior legal officials here and the US law firm Manatt Phelps and Phillips on the extradition issue.

Utilising the Information Act, the Sunday Gleaner acquired copies of the emails which span a seven-month period from September 2009 to March 2010.

The correspondence involving Solicitor General Douglas Leys, local attorney Harold Brady and officials of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, shows that the US law firm had been working on behalf of the government, even though it had been engaged by the JLP.

In April, Prime Minister Golding in a radio broadcast insisted that his government was not contractually involved with the US firm although there were discussions between the two parties.

“But at no stage during those discussions was any decision taken nor was any action taken to retain their services; that they are not authorised to represent the government of Jamaica; that Mr. Harold Brady was not authorised to engage any legal firm on behalf of the government of Jamaica; that he is not a consultant to the Government of Jamaica and to make that clear and to ensure that the position of the government of Jamaica is clearly stated,” the Prime Minister told his radio audience.

Golding’s comments on Manatt Phelps and Phillips came only hours after it was reported that the US law firm had publicised information about the termination of its contractual relationship with the government through Brady.

In a document placed on the website of the US Department of Justice the US law firm stated that it ceased activities on behalf of the Jamaican government on February 8 this year.
This was done just two days after former national security minister Dr Peter Phillips first raised the matter in Parliament.

The PNP has renewed its call for the establishment of a Commission of Enquiry to investigate the government’s dealing with US law firm.

Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller also late Sunday placed the PNP on election alert and suggested that the disclosure by the newspaper could result in the prime minister stepping down from office.

Speaking at a constituency conference in the central parish of Clarendon, Simpson Miller said Prime Minister Golding was now too compromised to remain in office.

“Be prepared. Be on standby and listen for the sound of the trumpet…wrong is wrong. I say to the Prime Minister tonight, enough is enough!” she declared.

Phillips said the publication by the Gleaner newspaper reaffirms the PNP’s view that the government has still not provided full disclosure on the issue.

“The media reports today simply reaffirm the view of the PNP which we have expressed on many occasions that the government has still not come clean to the people of Jamaica about all the circumstances surrounding their handling of the extradition request for Mr. Coke and the Mannat, Phelps and Phillips Affair which was associated with that whole effort by the government to defy a legitimate extradition request,” Phillips said.

Phillips also contends that the information allegedly contained in the emails have compromised the integrity of the Prime Minister, Attorney General and Solicitor General.

“We have insisted on a full independent commission of enquiry into the whole matter which can give the people of Jamaica an opportunity to assess all the issues that arise and to determine that we never go into the direction again where a Government of Jamaica becomes subject to the dictates of organised criminal entities. The party is going to speak to it in a few days,” Phillips said.