Monday's Molotov

In our post Leys Lullaby, we had questioned the role of Solicitor General Douglas Leys.

After initially refusing the gratuitous offer made by the representative of MPP to attend the scheduled meeting of US State Department and Justice Department officials with GOJ officials, he was subsequently convinced to allow the representative to accompany the Jamaican delegation. We had wondered who or what convinced the SG to change his mind. After all has admitted on radio to include Jamaican attorney Harold Brady would have been improper.

Our information from a most reliable source is that the SG was in constant telephonic contact with government officials in Jamaica. On the first day of what has been dubbed the "Dudus Enquiry" we have been provided with the answer.

Coye testified that in December 2009, she went to the residence of Jamaican ambassador to Washington, Anthony Johnson, and that attorney Harold Brady was present together with an attorney from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. She said that she later learned that the attorney was named Kevin Di Gregory.

She said that Deputy Solicitor General Lackston Robinson had told her that the lawyer would be a part of the Jamaican delegation to meet with US State Department and Justice Department officials, which included her, himself and Solicitor General Douglas Leys.

Coye further testified that Robinson told her Leys had included the Manatt lawyer in the delegation because he understood US law and understood the thinking of the Justice Department, being a former employee there.

The ambassador said she objected because there was no approval from Foreign Minister Ken Baugh or Dorothy Lightbourne, justice minister and attorney general. However, she said that when she confronted Leys, he told her that Lightbourne had given permission to expand the delegation.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Manatt-was-working-for-gov-t-on-Dudus---testimony#ixzz1BK1RaVB9

 This raises a number of questions:

• Was the Solicitor General speaking the truth, when he said on radio that the gratuitous offer was extended merely hours before the scheduled meeting?
• Was the Attorney General speaking the truth when she said that the first time she heard of the firm MPP was when the matter was raised in parliament?
• Did the Solicitor General seek and obtain the authority of the Attorney General Lightbourne before he accepted the gratuitous offer?
• What consideration was given to the objections by the officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the initial reservations of the Solicitor General?
• Did the Attorney General inform the Prime Minister of the inclusion of MPP along with the GOJ delegation?
• Were the Attorney General and the Prime Minister briefed as to the outcome of the meetings with the US govt. officials and the GOJ delegation which included the representative from MPP?
• Was there a post meeting conference at the law offices of MPP?
• If yes, what role did the MPP representative play in those post meeting discussions?