Leash the lawyers
Published:Monday | February 21, 2011 | 12:00 AM
G2K, PNPYO haggle over attorney indiscipline at Manatt-Dudus enquiry
Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer
A WAR of words has developed between the leadership of the main youth groups affiliated with the island's two major political parties over the 'indiscipline' that has marred recent sittings of the Manatt-Dudus commission of enquiry.
Yesterday, Generation 2000 (G2K), the young-professional affiliate of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), called for commissioners Emil George, Anthony Irons, and Donald Scharschmidt to be "more firm and decisive in their management of the proceedings".
Pointing fingers at Senator K.D. Knight and Patrick Atkinson, the attorneys representing the People's National Party (PNP) and former national security minister, Dr Peter Phillips, respectively, G2K demanded in a release that they be leashed.
"Both attorneys are frequently allowed to go off on bad-mannered, raucous, and disruptive displays without sufficient reprimand by the commissioners," G2K said, adding that both attorneys were "without a doubt the most unruly participants".
G2K also called for the commissioners to seriously address what it claimed were frequent rants coming from attendees seated close to Knight and Atkinson.
'Tell the truth'
But in a quick response yesterday, president of the PNP Youth Organisation (PNPYO), Damion Crawford, lashed back at G2K, telling the JLP affiliate to stop "majoring in the minor" and instruct its leaders to "tell the truth".
"We would want to advise the G2K that if they want to be 'class monitors' for the commission, they should focus on asking their leaders to first of all tell the truth, and instruct their legal team that the modus operandi can't be to defend Mr Golding (Prime Minister Bruce Golding) and the JLP by any means necessary, even if it is to the detriment of the nation's security or the defamation of committed public-sector workers' characters," Crawford declared.
The commission of enquiry has been set up to examine matters related to the handling of the extradition request for accused drug kingpin Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, including the hiring of United States law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.
While adding that he was uncertain about the basis on which G2K drew a conclusion as to whose lawyers were the more unruly, Crawford said: "We are, however, more concerned as to why it is that the JLP seem to have instructed their attorneys, in particular Mr (Frank) Phipps, to fight the perception that the Jamaica Labour Party, and in particular, its leadership, sought to defend a member and key supporter of the party from criminal prosecution."
He added: "This instruction from the JLP to their lawyers seems to include belittling every single public-sector worker and putting out all classified documents to the public regardless of the security risks associated."
Last week, Phillips, who was national security minister in the last People's National Party administration, and the current holder of that portfolio, Senator Dwight Nelson, took the hot seat at the enquiry. Phillips is scheduled to return today. Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne and Golding are also expected to appear this week.