Leys' Lullaby

Rock a bye baby,
In the treetop
When the wind blows
The cradle will rock

Douglas Leys the Solicitor General of Jamaica, in a meeting with US State Department and Justice Department facilitated the attendance of a member of a private US law firm into that official meeting. Hello!?

The SG had just recently a few hours before been introduced to the principals of the said law firm who were anxious to obtain an official brief to act on behalf of the GOJ.

The SG himself had refused the overtures of the said law firm and by his own admission outlined to them the procedure that had to be followed if and when they were to be engaged to act on behalf of the GOJ.

It therefore begs the question: Did the SG act most improperly in facilitating the attendance of a private US law firm at an official meeting between himself and the US authorities?

In so doing, the SG unwittingly gave credence to the impression gained by the US officials - who had previously met with representatives of the US law firm and were involved in discussions of the very same issue as the SG - that the US law firm was indeed acting on behalf of the GOJ.

What is even more difficult to understand is the rationale informing the SG's thinking that to have Brady - a Jamaican attorney attend the meeting would have been improper, yet saw no problem in having a representative from a US law firm (who had not been engaged by the GOJ to his certain knowledge) attending as an "Observer".

Leys was either naive or was "convinced/persuaded" to change his initial refusal of the gratuitous offer. Unknown to him, he was the one being introduced to the US officials.

So, the "Consultant" was not so authorized and neither was the "Observer" but the fact remains that the US law firm acted on behalf of the GOJ in its dealings with US officials as reported on the official websites.

Smoking gun and misty mirrors: Who will be held accountable? Who misled the PM? Who is politically dispensable? Who will be "separated" from their responsibilities?

In the end the DEA - Dudus Extradition Affair has been further complicated, if not compromised, by the FBI (now meaning From Brady's Intervention).

When the bough breaks,

The Cradle will fall

And Down will come baby

Cradle and all

Oops!

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"Tainted Money" - Politics

The headline in the Sunday Observer, March 21, 2010 Rich Jamaican Businessman under US Probe must be sending off alarm bells throughout the newly monied interests in Jamaica. Bangarang once again!

Recall the "tainted money" saga in the JLP's internal elections which saw the young turks gaining office. That eventually paved the way for Bruce Golding's return and the ousting of Seaga from the helm.

Then the general election 2007 which saw a very expensive campaign being waged by the Golding - led JLP for some two years. Money flowed from both foreign and domestic sources.

There was little or no concern expressed as to the nature or source of such funds.  The main focus was amount and flow.  UFO's including Cash Plus and Olint were involved. 

The end result was that the Golding-led JLP barely eked out a win (less than a 3000 vote margin) despite the massive injection of cash into its campaign.

Now there is the Brady factor and questions being raised as to the source of the funding to lobby US officials.  The FBI is reported as having an interest.

As if that was not enough, it has been revealed that the US has interests in those who have amassed enormous wealth under the JLP Government.  

• Could the same set of players have been involved to a greater or lesser extent in all these financially tainted activities?
• Has Jamaica become one of the world's leading money laundering facilities?
• Is this the classic case of dirty money and political power?

We are now having our dirty (and tattered) underwear hung out for the international public to view and smell.

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