JO - The US tightening the screws

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer

The US tightening the screws

Mark Wignall

Thursday, March 04, 2010


AFTER having financed our way of life for too many years, our powerful neighbour to the north, the USA, has decided not just as the one which calls the tune, to tell the piper to "play another tune", it has, in the latest US Drug Report on Jamaica, told us to pipe down, straighten up and fly right.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"In its most pointed accusation (Country's Actions against Drugs 2009 sub-headed Corruption) it said, "Indeed, Jamaica's delay in processing the US extradition request for a major suspected drug and firearms trafficker with reported ties to the ruling party highlights the potential depth of corruption in the government.""

"Based on the geopolitical maxim as best espoused by Henry Kissinger in the 1970s that America has no friends, only interests, the US - without Cold War considerations and with an economy that is increasingly going up the down escalator - has little time to be splitting hairs with a dead-broke, corrupt, crime-ridden, politically insignificant country such as ours."

"The government's position on its refusal to hand over Tivoli "president" Christopher "Dudus" Coke is that the information as gathered through wiretapping of his phone was done in breach of Jamaican law."

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"Let us not fool ourselves that wiretapping can be legally sanctioned in a small, corrupt country like Jamaica where every politician knows a man of interest and every superintendent of police is a potential invitee to that link."

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observemark@gmail.com

JO - EXTRADITED. 'Deedo' Nembhard, four other J'cans handed over to US to face drug trafficking charges.

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer

EXTRADITED

'Deedo' Nembhard, four other J'cans handed over to US to face drug trafficking charges

BY KARYL WALKER Observer staff reporter walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com

Saturday, July 12, 2008

NORRIS 'Deedo' Nembhard, the alleged Jamaican drug kingpin, and four other Jamaicans were yesterday handed over to the United States authorities to stand trial on drug trafficking charges, despite last-minute attempts by their lawyers to prevent their extradition. On Thursday, Nembhard's attorney, Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, applied for special leave in the Court of Appeal to allow for an application to the United Kingdom-based Privy Council, as she continued her bid to prevent her client from being extradited.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"(T)he attorney was livid after learning that her client, along with Robroy 'Spy' Williams, his bother Glenford Williams, Vivian Dalley and former police corporal Herbert 'Scarry' Henry were airlifted by helicopter from the Horizon Remand Centre in Kingston and handed over to the Americans at the Norman Manley International Airport at about 9:00 am."

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"Nembhard, a St Ann businessman, was held by the police during a sting operation in that parish in 2004, after US drug enforcement authorities requested that he be extradited to face drug-running and conspiracy charges in Florida.

The other men were held by local narcotics agents during similar operations in western Jamaica. United States President George W Bush, shortly after the arrest of Nembhard, declared him and another Jamaican businessman, Lebert Ramcharan, drug kingpins."