'I was told to send 'extradition' email'
Published:Tuesday | March 22, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
Verna McGaw, a former senior secretary in the Ministry of Justice, declared yesterday that she received clear instructions from Attorney General Dorothy Lightbourne to send a now controversial email to Solicitor General Douglas Leys and attorney-at-law Harold Brady in September 2009.
In so doing, McGaw firmly disputed claims by Lightbourne that the email, which provided Brady and Leys with an update on the initiatives being undertaken in the Christopher 'Dudus' Coke extradition matter, was not sent on the minister's behalf.
Lightbourne, who is also the justice minister, previously testified that she did not speak with Brady about the extradition matter.
Lightbourne had described McGaw in her testimony as a typist, but yesterday, the civil servant identified herself as a senior secretary.
The enquiry was also told that Lightbourne has had more than 20 secretaries during her three-year tenure as justice minister.
McGaw's claim that she could not recall the actual contents of the email she sent on Lightbourne's behalf, 18 months ago, sparked a heated exchange involving Chairman of the commission, Emil George; attorneys Frank Phipps; K.D. Knight and Patrick Atkinson; and Dr Lloyd Barnett.
However, McGaw said she recalled that the email, sent on Lightbourne's behalf on September 16, 2009, was captioned 'Extradition'.
McGaw told Oliver Smith, Leys' attorney, that only one correspondence relating to "extradition" was dealt with by her.
She told Knight, the attorney for the People's National Party, that she knew nothing of the issues relating to extradition matters. Her response was consistently in the negative when Knight asked her about the range of issues which affected the extradition request for Coke.
McGaw said when she prepared the email for the minister she used the computer on her desk, or another on the desk of the executive assistant.
She said she recalled that Lightbourne had checked by phone to ascertain whether Brady and Leys had received the email.
McGaw told Debra Martin, co-counsel for Dr Peter Phillips, that she knew Brady.
Hesitant
After being dragged unceremoniously into the public glare by the contentious email, McGaw was hesitant to take the hot seat.
She claimed her safety could be in jeopardy as she resides in a volatile section of the island.
McGaw's request was met after the three commissioners - Chairman Emil George, Donald Scharschmidt, and Anthony Irons - met first with attorneys, followed by members of the media fraternity.
The media were sternly instructed by George to not capture McGaw's image, but that was not necessary as she was concealed from view.
Only her voice could be heard by journalists and attorneys.
McGaw said among her functions in Lightbourne's office was organising Cabinet documents, making drafts, and responding to routine correspondence as well as preparing emails as instructed by Lightbourne.
Disclosing that Lightbourne was unable to use computers although there was one on her desk, McGaw said she prepared and sent emails the minister gave her in handwritten form.
McGaw said she recalled being summoned to Lightbourne's office and given a handwritten message on a legal pad to email to Brady and Leys.
She said she had an address for Brady, but was given another by Lightbourne.
McGaw said she could not recall if the email she sent in September 2009 accorded with the one presented to her.
Before the commission
Phipps objected to further questions on the matter as McGaw claimed that she could not recall verbatim the contents of the email.
"That statement is absolute and final," he declared. "She cannot identify the documents. That is the effect of it."
He was quickly supported by Lightbourne's attorney, Dr Lloyd Barnett. "To seek the contents of the email would be improper."
But Knight would have none of it.
"Her evidence accords with the essential aspects of the sending of the email, which is an important aspect of the evidence ... ," Knight argued. "She has spoken to the usual practice of how this is done."