'I paid':Vaz admits to paying Brady's airfare, Manatt fees at commission of enquiry

BRUCE GOLDING was the engine behind the engagement of United States law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and Cabinet Minister Daryl Vaz was the man carrying out his instructions.

Vaz, the minister with responsibility for information, told the Manatt commission of enquiry yesterday that Prime Minister Golding told him there were issues to be resolved as a result of the extradition request for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.

"The prime minister briefed me on it. He told me there were concerns regarding the request, and I told him I was going to get the money right away," Vaz said.

Asked if he supported the extradition of Coke, Vaz replied: "I support law and order."

Vaz, as treasurer of the Jamaica Labour Party, spent $900,000 for airfares for Harold Brady and Ronald Robinson to travel abroad to engage Manatt, and a further US$50,000 for the services of the law firm.

He said he was aware that a representative of Manatt later attended a meeting at the US Justice Department involving officials from Jamaica and the US to discuss matters relating to Coke's extradition but said he was never concerned about it.