EDITORIAL: It's only the beginning

With Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher Coke now facing trial on drug and gunrunning charges in New York City, many at home are anxious for him to call names and expose those who have aided and abetted his alleged criminal enterprise.

Tired of criminal dons and the corrosive effect they have had on our society, members of the public, in their utterances on the airwaves and in cyberworld, are hoping that Coke's prosecution will result in the unmasking of those corrupt individuals who have sheltered criminals for their own financial or vote-related interests.

Coke's arrest is but the first step. The process has to continue until political parties have been purged of criminals and thugs and the influential people who give them succour. It's time for our politicians to demonstrate that they place the public interest above party loyalties, for this is the only way they can regain the trust of the Jamaican people.

For sure, it didn't start with Coke. For many years, our leaders referred to the underground economy with veiled admiration, even though it was an open secret that these activities were largely based on illegal actions, including smuggling, extortion, evading taxes and customs duties, aided by rogue elements in the police force and Customs. The nexus between police and criminals is well established. It is from the underground economy that many of the dons have emerged, having sanitised their loot and transformed themselves into 'businessmen'. They are then able to secure lucrative contracts from the state, in what must be interpreted as an example of the political establishment becoming the legalised godfather of criminals.

Vector for criminality

The police-criminal nexus can only thrive with a political-criminal nexus. The underworld is like a vector carrying the germ of criminality, and in recent months we have seen the grave danger the underworld poses to society.

So, the calls for revelations and fitting punishment are growing louder and louder. Our citizens are demanding that our political leaders fix the problem once and for all. We have been very soft on public officials, whose lifestyle and acquisitions are not consistent with their earnings. And we have looked the other way when politicians fail to declare their assets to the Integrity Commission. People want to see an end to the endemic corruption that has plagued our country for so many decades.

Mr Coke made a statement prior to leaving for the United States in which he seemed to be apologising for the loss of life in Tivoli Gardens when the security forces battled gunmen there last month. The backhanded apology is meaningless if left at that. Mr Coke needs to do more in the name of those innocents who were killed. He could give up the members of his presidential clique, or "click" as it is called. He could reveal whether he knows where the high-powered battlefield weapons are stashed. He could also tell if there are bodies buried in the area.

It is time for our leaders to declare which side they are on: the one dedicated to championing justice or the one devoted to partisan politics and self-interest.

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