Close Encounters: 00-50 H B

Well you all thought that the political scenarios in the Dudus Extradition Affair (DEA) and the Brady Factor (BF) were out of some B class Hollywood script.

Here is the pre-release:

Now the latest scene is entitled Brief Social Encounters . It has nothing to do with Sex in the City but mainly with 007 0050 HB in Washington. 

Can you imagine a chance encounter with 0050 HB and Ronald in Washington? Invitations are issued, some are declined but some are accepted. Sounds familiar?  So we all just get along - socially over drinks.  Such a game is employed by those involved in courtship - not of the judicial kind.

But the scene has been played out before, starting at the Norman Manley airport in Kingston, Jamaica.  There was a chance meeting between 0050 HB and Dougie both on their way to Washington on parallel mission. Agent 0050 HB invites Dougie to get familiar with some Washington lobbyists - the same ones that would having drinks with Ronald. But having made social acquaintances, Dougie initially refuses a gratuitous offer but is later convinced that his newly made acquaintance should accompany him to his close encounter with US State officials. Unlike Ronald, Dougie did not have any drinks.

There have been unconfirmed reports of other close encounters, those involving persons within the JLP and Agent 0050 HB. Reports are that such persons decided to undertake and finance an operation aimed at assisting the GOJ in resolving a treaty dispute it had with the USA.

Back at  HQ Branch, OBG is Commander-in-the-Dark with GS Sam-the-Sanctioner; and Thor is conveniently unaware. 

Who is Special Agent 0050 HB? A man with vast experience in International Law and Politics to assist in this regard. He is not daft, but deft in his management of such affairs and his invitations are not likely to be declined. He has successfully engaged not-too brief social encounters in the past. Some have received wide press coverage.

0050 HB is fully aware that he will have to sing and dance in this one. Such caberet performances cost a bag of money. 

Need an MC for your wedding? Special Agent  0050 HB is available.

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Lies, Damn Lies and Dunce Lies

A full statement has been released by Samuda on his findings re the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips Engagement by Brady and Co.

The nine point statement raises a number of questions.

Point one: Who are those "persons within the JLP" who approached Mr. Brady? If there was a treaty dispute between the US and Jamaica why is the JLP interfering in such?

Point two: What is Brady's vast experience in international law and politics ? Is there no one else in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in possession of such skills? Why not appoint Harold Brady Consultant to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

Point three: Why is Mr. Brady's firm retaining the services of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips to have discussions with relevant officials of the US government, in which the GOJ has no interest?

Point four: If the meeting between the Solicitor General and officials of the State and Justice Departments was arranged by the Min of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy of Jamaica, on what basis would the Solicitor General seek to include an "observer" a couple hours before its commencement.

Point five: Who are the members of the team that accompanied the Solicitor General to that meeting? On what basis was the Solicitor General discussing with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips alternative approaches that have to be taken in similar treaty disputes with the US? Solicitor General Leys indicated that the meeting was arranged by Brady and was mainly introductory. This does not square with Samuda's findings.

Point six:  How did the Solicitor General obtain "the full approval of the State Department" to have a representative of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips attend the meeting as an "observer".

Point seven: If Samuda's findings are true then the Solicitor General is duty bound to tender his resignation by his acceptance of the suggestion by a firm: with which he had had no previous contact, did not inform him that they had already been retained by Brady & Co. and without more he invited them to "observe" discussions between the GOJ and officials of the government of the United States.

Point eight:  What is a brief social encounter? How does one arrange such with a representative of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips? In what capacity was Harold Brady acting when he issued an invitation to the Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade to attend a meeting at the State Department? Who attended that meeting? Is it mere coincidence that Dr. Ronald Robinson and Harold Brady were in Washington at the same time, similar to the chance meeting of Brady and Leys?

Point nine: Have "persons within the JLP" entered into any contractual arrangement with Manatt, Phelps and Phillips? Have "persons within the JLP" facilitated the payments of submitted invoices?

So persons within the JLP decided to assist the JLP government.  This apparently was done without the knowledge of members of the JLP who are also members of the cabinet.  What exactly was the interest of the JLP in this matter? Furthermore Manatt, Phelps and Phillips would have provided written reports of its meetings and positions reached with officials of the US state and justice departments. These would have been provided to Brady and Co. for the benefit of "persons within the JLP". Did those reports reach cabinet members within the JLP? 

So Bruce Golding was not informed of such dealings in his capacity of Prime Minister of Jamaica. Was he so informed in his capacity as leader of the Jamaica Labour Party? Why has it taken so long for members of the hierarchy of the JLP to admit that this initiative was conceived and hatched within the JLP?

And the cow jumped over the moon.

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Daft Con

There have been many cons.

First there was consultant negotiating a contract to have a US law firm establish contact with the US authorities.

The PM hastily concocted a response in parliament, but later conceded that there indeed had been some contact but no contract.

But that response was un-convincing and there was a call for concrete evidence of the correction. Such proved controversial as glaring inconsistencies began to emerge.

• Were the US authorities conned?
• Was there a conspiracy to deceive and defraud?
• Who will be convicted?
• Who will have to be consoled?

Soon nothing will remain concealed, for this matter can no longer be contained.  The JLP is in a conundrum as the matter is not being brought to a conclusion quickly and the political fallout seems to be contagious.

The contrast with the Trafigura Affair has crossed the political Rubicon. The PM appears confused; Brady may confess; Vaz has been confined.

The saga continues.

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Sam's Sanctions

Samuda, in his dual capacity as a senior minister of government and the General Secretary of the JLP, has been mandated to sanction Harold Brady. Yes; and the cow jumped over the moon.

What exactly has Brady done to warrant being any sanction being imposed on him? Brady is not a member of the cabinet, so he cannot be sanctioned by any member of that august body.  Brady is said to be a card carrying member of the JLP, so the General Secretary can take disciplinary measures if the rules governing that party have been infringed. Have they and by whom?

So Sam the Sanctioner has a problem. How does he imposing sanctions on one who has been acting in the best interests of the party for donkey's years?

We thought it best to consider some sanctions:

• Brady to stand outside the gates of Jamaica House between the hours of 8am - 9am  and 4pm -5pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for two weeks with a loudspeaker saying, "I am sorry" once every five minutes. [Vaz the Minister of Information will monitor the event with the usual media coverage]
• Brady to write 50,000 lines "I am not a Consultant to the Government of Jamaica". Such must be in Brady's own handwriting and his signature affixed to the bottom of each page. [AG Lightbourne will ensure compliance and send certified copies to the US law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips]
• Brady to attend Vale Royal for breakfast on weekends, dressed in white shorts and to affix his name, address and signature to the visitor's protocol book. [PM Bruce will do the cooking]
• At the completion of the sanctions, Brady to throw a party and invite the usual posse. The occasion will taken to confer on Brady an OJ as a lasting and fitting sanction for his initiatives. [The OD - Order of Dudus = was ruled out]

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Credit Run Out

Source: Jamaica Observer 5.4.2010

US President William "Bill" Clinton in dealing with the Monica Lewinsky Affair stared right into the TV cameras, maintained eye contact and adopted the seriousness of a judge and said:

 "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

We are yet to see any evidence of anyone who was willing to admit, either privately or publicly, that they had believed that statement.  

Jamaica is never far behind. We have our own President (of the Employer's Federation), another W.C. making this statement concerning the Chen Affair:

"I did not ask for an intervention and have no information that suggests that the Jamaican government has done so."  

We have not done a survey to assess the extent of the credibility of this statement.  However, some nagging questions refuse to go away.

• How were the details of Chen's visa revocation and subsequent actions by him and others on his behalf "leaked" to the media?
• Who was that impostor on TV giving "information" but not "seeking intervention"?
• If one makes a call to the fire department informing them of a raging fire, is that not also seeking an intervention?

Latest media reports are that Chen is still waiting for an official reply to this re-application for a US visa. 

Then we have no less a person than the PM of Jamaica, the Hon.Bruce Golding M.P. in stark and irreconcilable conflict with the prestigious US law firm, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in respect of representation made to the US State Department and Justice Department. 

There is a disconnect; dem credit run out.

Clovis' cartoon in the Jamaica Observer speaks volumes.

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Mix Up & Blenda

So Manatt, Phelps & Phillips (MPP) has confirmed two things:

• It has been acting on behalf of the Government of Jamaica through GOJ's liaison Harold C.W. Brady of Brady & Co.
• That MPP ceased continuing to represent the GOJ through Harold C.W. Brady of Brady & Co. as of February 8, 2010.

That amendment was filed on March 18, 2010 - two days after pertinent questions were raised in Parliament eliciting and outright denial by the PM.

The country was told in no uncertain terms that the GOJ had never hired any consultant, law firm, person or entity to represent the GOJ in any discussions involving treaty obligations. It has turned out that the US law firm MPP was certainly under the impression that it was acting on behalf of the GOJ. Moreoever the US State Department and Justice Department were certainly under the impressions that in talks with MPP the law firm was acting on behalf of the GOJ.

Now that we have been informed that the now-disputed contractual relationship ceased as of February 8, 2010, certain interesting questions arise:

• When exactly did the now-disputed contractual relationship commence?
• Under what set of circumstances did MPP "cease activities on behalf of the Government of Jamaica through Harold C. W Brady of Brady and Co."?
• Which party initiated the cessation?
• What reasons were given?
• Did both parties formally agree to the cessation (in writing)?

• Was the outstanding balance of the agreed retainer ever paid?
• Did MPP act in pursuance of the contract after the September 18, 2009 invoice was settled?
• Are there any other invoices for services rendered by MPP which have been submitted and settled?
• What has happened to the written reports of the meetings conducted by MPP with the US officials in pursuance of the now-disputed contract?
• Does anyone expect Baby Leys to come to any other conclusion that Harold C. W Brady of Brady and Co.did not have the capacity to enter into contractual obligations with any entity as a representative of the GOJ? Hence, there was no contract between GOJ and MPP. Surprised?

MPP's notification of termination of contractual relationship with Government of Jamaica.

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