Manatt back in focus
Published:Monday | June 6, 2011 | 12:00 AM
- Government, Opposition anticipate release of Dudus commission report today
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
The opposition is threatening to reignite national fury if it and the public are not satisfied with the content of the Manatt-Dudus commission of enquiry report, scheduled to be submitted to Governor General Sir Patrick Allen today.
A little over a year since the west Kingston stronghold of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, in the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) enclave of Tivoli Gardens, capitulated under the extradition pressures of the United States authorities and the Jamaican public at large, three commissioners are scheduled to hand down their ruling on the twists and turns of the enquiry.
After two extensions, Sir Patrick gave commission Chairman Emil George and his fellow commissioners until May 16 to hand their report to him.
That deadline was, however, extended to today because the report was still not ready then.
'Report important'
While members of the public seem uninterested, having already absorbed the 'thrills and spills' at the enquiry, political protagonists have continued to hurl brickbats at each other before the release of the document.
"The report was always going to be important but one has to anticipate and plan for two positions - one where the report reflected the proceedings in an accurate way and one where it didn't," K.D. Knight, the lead attorney for the People's National Party (PNP), told The Gleaner.
Knight, an opposition senator and former minister in the PNP administration, added: "If it is that it reflects the proceeding, then the citizenry must determine the type of reaction that is necessary based on what it heard and saw."
He warned that any cover-up of the truth would be totally unacceptable, reiterating comments made last month when he called for protests if the report did not accurately reflect the events that took place during the enquiry.
Knight also cautioned against a scenario in which civil servants are held accountable but politicians are let off the hook.
"I don't expect that," he declared.
"Where the report truly reflects the proceedings, it must be the responsibility of the political directorate to do the decent thing. If that does not happen, there must be consequences," he added.
But Mike Henry, the JLP chairman, told The Gleaner recently that he did not expect anything "earth-shattering" from the report and was quick to warn Knight about the stance he has taken.
"I abhor the activities of the Opposition in seeking to resurrect (the issue) through Mr Knight's position to have the public prejudge the findings."
Henry said he shared the position of JLP leader and Prime Minister, Bruce Golding who has stressed that he was interested in "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth".
For its part, the Milton Samuda-led Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, one of the more vocal organisations in their demands on the Golding administration in the midst of the diplomatic impasse with the US, maintains that the commission of enquiry was necessary.
"We are looking forward to the release of the report because it is the culmination of a very important process," Samuda told The Gleaner.
The dramatics, which were played out in the State Department, the US Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica House and Vale Royal and climaxed at the Jamaica Conference Centre, have made way for the contrastingly quiet release of the documents.
Samuda noted that some Jamaicans have continued to dismiss the process as a waste of time and resources.
"We are absolutely not of that view, as the process of holding public officials accountable is most important, it is time and money well spent," he declared.
But Hugh Campbell, a businessman in the heart of Kingston, differs.
Campbell said he expects no bombshell.
"It is neither here nor there for me as far as the Manatt enquiry is concerned," he asserted.
A curious mixture of disinterest; keen interest and palpable anticipation await the findings of the commission, which also includes George's amiable colleague, Donald Scharschmidt, and the mostly silent, Anthony Irons.
"I am not looking forward to it (the report), neither am I expecting anything major to come from it. I still maintain, no matter what the experts may think, that it was a grand waste of time and more importantly, a waste of taxpayers' money," Campbell asserted.
Leighton, a public-sector employee who was unwilling to use his surname, agrees.
"As far as the Manatt-Dudus enquiry is concerned, I have lost interest and not looking forward to its findings," he told The Gleaner.
"The whole enquiry was just a charade with politicians taking the opportunity to showcase themselves," he added.
Leighton is of the view that the outcome had been decided before the first day of the enquiry.
"Just a little tweaking here and there for the few unexpected disclosures. Scoring political points was the main objective," he argued.
The commission, which lasted more than three months and welcomed in excess of a dozen witnesses, was established to enquire into the issues relating to the extradition request for Coke by the US government; the manner and procedure in which the said extradition request was handled by the Jamaican Government and the role and conduct of the various public officials who handled the extradition request.
In announcing the establishment of the commission in October last year, Golding said it would also probe the circumstances under which Manatt was engaged in relation to any or all of the matters involved, by whom were they engaged and on whose behalf they were authorised to act. The commission would also determine whether there was any misconduct on the part of any person in any of these matters and, if so, to make recommendations as it sees fit for the referral of such persons to the relevant authority or disciplinary body for appropriate action.