Coye clobbered
Published:Friday | January 21, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Gary Spaulding, Gleaner Writer
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Evadne Coye, appeared to buckle under piercing cross-examination from Oliver Smith, the attorney representing Solicitor General Douglas Leys, during yesterday's sitting of the commission of enquiry into the Manatt-Dudus affair.
Coye took much battering as Smith bore holes into the statement and verbal testimony she gave at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, on Monday.
"I was wrong ... I have a problem with dates," she said in response to questions from Smith as some of dates she supplied in relation to meetings failed to reconcile.
An email was presented, as evidence, in which Coye cited that a meeting involving a delegation from Jamaica was held on December 16, 2009, followed by a dinner in Washington.
The commission was initially told that that meeting was held on December 17.
Foggy details
Other basic details of the activities that led to the extradition of ousted west Kingston strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke seemed foggy as Coye stared at Smith for long moments before coming up with answers.
She told the commission in cross-examination that she made notes in the United States meeting, but did not have them with her.
To make matters worse, Coye claimed she had difficulty providing the notes of the activities of other meetings that she said had taken place.
Coye also acknowledged that having just assumed the position of permanent secretary, she was a greenhorn in matters related to extradition.
In response to Smith's suggestions to the contrary, Coye denied she knew of Harold Brady's involvement in the talks to engage United States law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips from the outset.
She claimed she could not recall who was in a vehicle that transported a group to the meeting, but strenuously denied that Brady was an occupant.
"I have no recollection (about) who was in the vehicle, but I will check," said Coye.
"You wanted to draw yourself away from the fact Brady was at the dinner meeting," challenged Smith. "Are you suggesting that Brady was not in the van with you, Leys and ... ."
On Monday, Coye made much about standing on a bitterly cold day in the midst of heavy traffic in Washington when she ended up in Manatt's offices.
Claims downplayed
However, yesterday, despite Smith's insistence, Coye vehemently downplayed claims that it was the climatic conditions which ushered her into the Manatt office.
"I just wanted to be hospitable," she declared yesterday.
Coye claimed on Monday that it was sometime after arriving in the office that she found out it was Manatt's office.
In stark contrast to the seemingly calm picture she displayed on Monday as she fielded questions from Garth McBean, who marshalled the evidence, Coye seemed rattled throughout the more than hourlong cross-examination.
Questioned about her claims on Monday that there was a series of meetings in relation to the extradition request for Coke, Coye was unable to produce evidence that there were more than two meetings, including one in the US.
"Could it be a fact that you had no notes as there were no other meetings," queried Smith, who was under instructions from senior attorney Winston Spaulding.
"No," responded Coye.
But when she was asked by Smith to produce details, she claimed, "I have to check."