Lightbourne biased in handling 'Dudus' extradition case - KD
Published:Friday | March 11, 2011 | 12:00 AM
People's National Party (PNP) attorney K.D. Knight has accused Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne of blatant bias in her handling of the extradition request for accused drug lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke when compared to her treatment of a similar request for former fugitive Norris Nembhard.
During yesterday's hearing of the Manatt-Dudus commission of enquiry, Knight referred to a slew of correspondences which were exchanged between the Nembhard's attorney (not named) and Lightbourne as the fugitive sought to appeal his pending extradition.
Lightbourne has maintained that she initially refused to sign the extradition request for Coke because his constitutional right was breached with the use of wiretapping evidence which was dispatched to United States officials.
This prompted a diplomatic impasse between Jamaica and the United States for nine months.
But yesterday Knight contended that Nembhard, popularly known as 'Dido', was not accorded the same treatment by Lightbourne.
Citing documents requesting constitutional review, Knight suggested that when Lightbourne signed the extradition request for Nembhard, she neglected to pay due care to the Jamaican's right.
Nembhard was eventually extradited to the United States to answer drug trafficking and other charges.
"You did not care one iota about the constitutional rights of Norris Nembhard," declared Knight. "You would have facilitated Norris Nembhard's appeal to the Privy Council."
No application
In her defence, Lightbourne said she did not know about plans to go the Privy Council.
"There was no application when I signed the warrant," she said.
However, Knight suggested to the justice minister that it was a part of her responsibility to ensure that the constitutional rights of each Jamaican was observed.
Nembhard was among five Jamaican nationals extradited to the US in July 2008. Each pleaded guilty to drug-smuggling charges.
They pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to import more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana into the US.
According to court documents, Nembhard made deals to accept delivery in Jamaica of cocaine shipments between 600 and 1,000 kilograms.
The cocaine was delivered by go-fast vessels and small quantities from these shipments were sold in Jamaica with larger quantities going to the US by air or sea, often through The Bahamas, prosecutors said.
As one of many fiery verbal exchanges ensued, Knight charged: "You cared not that 73 people died."
However, an incensed Adolphus Edwards, one of Lightbourne's lawyers, objected to Knight's comment.
"It is an improper comment, the witness has nothing to do with the death of 73 persons."
Commission Chairman Emil George instructed Knight to refrain from the expression.
However, Knight maintained that because Lightbourne had dawdled with the extradition request for nine months, 73 people had died.
'You did not care one iota about the constitutional rights of Norris Nembhard ... You would have facilitated Norris Nembhard's appeal to the Privy Council.' - Knight