JO - Dudus, US Gov't, interception of information

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer

Dudus, US Gov't, interception of information

Ken Chaplin

Tuesday, March 09, 2010


THIS column begs to differ with the editorial, "No man is (worth) an island" in last Thursday's edition of the Observer regarding the constitutionality of the extradition of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who is wanted in America for alleged drug and gun-trafficking charges.

Read the whole column here.

Snippet(s):

"It appears that information relating to Coke's alleged activities was forwarded to the US authorities after Coke's telephone was illegally tapped by operatives of a secret multinational intelligence agency, and this information was used to support the extradition request. Responding to the 2010 International Narcotics Control Report issued by the US Department of State Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Golding told Parliament last Wednesday that one aspect of the request which seemed to have worried the government was the violation of the Interception of Communications Act. The Act makes strict provisions for the manner in which intercepted communications may be obtained and disclosed. The evidence supporting the extradition request violated those provisions, said Golding. This violation is a serious offence."

"The minister has requested information from the US Government, after which the matter will be further considered."

&

"The US Department of State was not careful, as it ought to be, in the preparation of its report on the efforts of the security forces and the Jamaican authorities in the fight against international drug trafficking and organised crime. It should have been more specific and less generic in its evaluation regarding these matters. Certainly, there are a few areas where more progress could have been made, but there are a large number of areas in which the struggle has been remarkably successful, some with the assistance of the US Government."