Manatt enquiry faces extension

The Government seems set to extend the life of the Manatt-Dudus commission of enquiry, leaving taxpayers with a much bigger bill than the $40 million first budgeted.

Information Minister Daryl Vaz yesterday admitted what most Jamaicans had long accepted, there is no way the Emil George-chaired commission can complete its work and submit its report by the initial February 28 deadline.

With two of the major players - Prime Minister Bruce Golding and Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne - yet to take the stand, it seems certain that the commission will drag well into next month.

"My understanding is that there has been an application for an extension which will come to the Cabinet and a decision taken," Vaz told the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday.

He blamed the delay on the politicking taking place at the sittings.

"It seems that there may be need for some additional time and that is obviously because of what we just discussed. What should take one day takes three because of the different agendas that are there," charged Vaz.

He said the Government was still determined to have the enquiry completed on a timely basis.

"I would say to you, if you ask me to guess, probable the middle to the end of March," Vaz opined.

Unable to estimate

He was unable to say just how much more it will cost the Government to complete the enquiry which has been allocated $30 million to pay the salaries of the three commissioners and other employees and $10 million for administrative expenses.

"I guess with where we are and, based on what has been the mandated of the enquiry, the Government will have to provide for it," said Vaz

The $40-million allocation announced so far does not include the money to be paid to the high-powered attorneys representing senior government officials appearing before the commission.

Vaz said he appeared without a lawyer and Prime Minister Bruce Golding has taken a decision to pay his lawyer, Hugh Small, out of his personal funds.

However Lightbourne, who is also the attorney general, and Minister of National Security Dwight Nelson are being represented by lawyers paid by the state.

"They are the only two (other) government/JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) persons who are involved and they are involved with their government hats on," said Vaz.

The information minister used the opportunity to take potshots at former Minister of National Security Dr Peter Phillips.

Lame, hypocritical argument

According to Vaz, the rationale which Phillips gave for keeping the two controversial memoranda of understanding from his Cabinet colleagues was lame and hypocritical.

Vaz said if Phillips felt so strongly about it, he should have removed himself from signing the documents based on his own attendance of the funeral of a well-known 'don'.

The Manatt-Dudus commission of enquiry was established by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister, to examine the manner in which the extradition request for former west Kingston strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke was handled by the Government, and the circumstances under which the American law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips was retained.

The commission is also to investigate the role and conduct of the various public officials who handled the extradition request, ascertain who engaged Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and on whose behalf the law firm was engaged and authorised to act.

Additionally, the commission is to determine whether there was any misconduct on the part of any person involved in the matter and, if so, make recommendations as it sees fit for the referral of such persons to the relevant authority or disciplinary body for appropriate action.