Pointed Questions

Gleaner contributor Gordon Robinson, Attorney-at-Law in a column of August 29, 2010 purporting to outline the sequence of events in the Dudus Extradition affair, made some interesting inferences and asked a number of pointed questions.

Given the details of the statement filed by the former Senator Ronald Robinson to the COE, the following becomes extremely pertinent.

November 20, 2009: MPP has a second meeting with Bisa Williams, a US State Department director. On that same day, according to the May 11 statement of the prime minister:

"Dr Ronald Robinson, minister of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and (JLP) deputy general secretary, ... was invited by Mr Brady to attend a meeting at the State Department but declined ... . He did attend an informal meeting between Mr Brady and a representative of [MPP] ... to discuss the matters in relation to which the firm had been retained."

The inference from Driva's statement is that Brady was at that State Department meeting. If so, why? In what capacity? Did he obtain national security clearance? On what authority was he inviting Mr Robinson to attend? On what authority did Mr Robinson entertain the invitation so much so that, although he declined, he attended what could only have been a subsequent debriefing meeting with MPP and Brady? ......................

If these were innocent meetings, why has Robinson resigned? Why was MPP secretly briefing the GOJ's junior foreign affairs minister after the fact if MPP thought all along that it represented GOJ? Why was Robinson wary of being seen with Brady/MPP at the State Department meeting? Two plus two always equals four.

This happened in November 2009. Why was nothing done to reprimand Robinson until the matter became public? The foreign affairs minister has admitted that Robinson was not, at the time, on any sort of leave known to Government service. He was officially on duty as junior foreign affairs minister. But for the evidence of the cautious wording of the October 1 letter, it's easy to understand how MPP themselves might have been deceived into believing that they were working for GOJ. How many more public officials willingly participated in this JLP plot, sanctioned by the JLP Leader, to deceive the US government (and maybe MPP) that it was engaged in government-to-government talks?

One is left to wonder about the silence hitherto concerning the Vale Royal meetings held between the Prime Minister, Harold Brady and Ronald Robinson. According to Robinson, the first one involved the Prime Minister giving instructions to both Brady and himself and specifically about the briefing of the MPP lawyers of Jamaica's position. On the return of Brady and Robinson, the PM was briefed was briefed as to the outcome of his sanctioned mission.

The unavoidable question:

Why then and there did the Prime Minister not issue instructions to terminate the involvement of MPP?

The answer:

To do so would have obviated the need to have briefed them in the first place.

That presence statement is vital, to wit:
“The HPM,” said Robinson, using the acronym for the title Honourable Prime Minister, “instructed me to go to Washington to meet with the principals of MPP to brief them. My presence would also give some credence and strength to Mr Brady’s involvement.”[emphasis added].

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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?

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Political Shrapnel

The political explosion occasioned by Brady's letter bomb - published in the Gleaner, Tuesday October 7, 2010 - has sent shrapnel with extreme prejudice in the direction of Prime Minister Golding and Minister Daryl Vaz. Brady has made some damming allegations - the truth of which must be ascertained.

There is enough defamation to go around with all contenders being offered generous proportions. However, it is political credibility that takes center stage.

Hence, we highlight the political shrapnel:

• Brady took instructions only from Prime Minister Golding. Thus for all intents and purposes, Bruce Golding was Brady's client.  
• The instructions centered on attempting to resolve the political issues raised by the extradition request for Christopher "Dudus" Coke.
• The employment of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips (MPP) was only possible if this was a Government of Jamaica (GOJ) initiative and under a paid retainer.
• Brady reported such in full to Prime Minister Bruce Golding.
• The Prime Minister agreed to the terms of engagement stipulated by MPP with the added condition that attempts be made to "ensure, as best as possible, that the Government did not appear to be involved."[emphasis added]
• Minister Daryl Vaz was delegated to handle all the "financial implications." (What the hell does that mean?)
• Both PM Golding and Minister Daryl Vaz were made aware of MPP pre-conditions and were central to the hatching of the conspiracy to deceive.

 The situation remains the same GOJ in 3D.

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GOJ in 3D

Lying takes place on a number of levels and dimensions. Politicians are expected to be adept at the art and skill in so-called spin. Government spin serves no purpose unless it has a modicum of credibility. Sadly this JLP administration are either daft or in need of head examinations or both.

The GOJ is in 3D -
deep do do ;
dunce, duncer and duncest;
deceptive, despicable  and dirty.

Did you ever think that "persons within the JLP" could have hatched such a plot without the knowledge, participation and approval of the party hierarchy? Such would of necessity involve at the minimum the party leader, General Secretary and the Treasurer and/or the Deputy Treasurer.

Is then any wonder that the published Samuda's findings failed to mention the role played by the Party Leader in "sanctioning" the hiring of the US law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips  (MP&P)? But even more damning is the fact that MP&P would not have been able to engage US officials of the State Department and the Justice Department in talks concerning the extradition treaty between US and Jamaica unless MP&P was officially representing the GOJ.

Was Golding so informed and did he sanction the ruse?

So Brady signed as "Consultant to the Government of Jamaica" was not in any way an error.  The clause in the contract was very specific to avoid any misrepresentation of the authority under which Brady was operating.  The Consultant designation was an essential element of the conspiracy within the JLP to effect lobbying efforts in Washington.

There are more questions being raised by Golding's belated confession.

• When exactly did Golding sanction the initiative?
• Did Golding receive progress reports and issue directives on the initiatives?
• Who were the other co-conspirators within the JLP?
• How were funds amassed - voluntary contributions and/or gentle extortion?
• Were the financial contributors themselves beneficiaries of government contracts/state largesse ?
• Since Christopher "Dudus" Coke would have been the main beneficiary of such main lobbying efforts, what measures were instituted to monitor his participation - financially or otherwise?
• Did the party leader inform the AG, Minister of Justice and the Minister of Foreign Affairs about this parallel political initiative?

The GOJ continues in 3D - denial, desperation and damnation.

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