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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Public Defender Earl ...on (Gleaner)...</span>
Public Defender Earl Witter says his Office will be looking at options available to it to get a hearing into the conduct of the security forces in West Kingston in May last year. The joint police-military operation, carried out in Tivoli Gardens to execute an arrest warrant on Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, left 73 persons dead. Witter says he remains optimistic that Prime Minister Bruce Golding will accede to his recommendation that a Commission of Enquiry be set up to look into the security forces' operations in Tivoli Gardens. He also wants such a commission to investigate the incident at Kirkland Heights, St. Andrew where accountant Keith Clarke was killed. The public defender made the recommendation more than seven months ago by way of a letter to the Prime Minister. However, Witter says if there is no response from Golding, the Office of the Public Defender will look at the options available to the office to get a hearing into the allegations of abuses and extrajudicial killings by the security forces. There is a Commission of Enquiry currently looking into the issues surrounding Coke's extradition and the subsequent hiring of the law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips. However, the Commission has confirmed to Witter that enquiry into the security forces' conduct in West Kingston was outside its terms of reference.
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Public Defender Earl ...on (Gleaner)...</span>
Public Defender Earl Witter says his Office will be looking at options available to it to get a hearing into the conduct of the security forces in West Kingston in May last year. The joint police-military operation, carried out in Tivoli Gardens to execute an arrest warrant on Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, left 73 persons dead. Witter says he remains optimistic that Prime Minister Bruce Golding will accede to his recommendation that a Commission of Enquiry be set up to look into the security forces' operations in Tivoli Gardens. He also wants such a commission to investigate the incident at Kirkland Heights, St. Andrew where accountant Keith Clarke was killed. The public defender made the recommendation more than seven months ago by way of a letter to the Prime Minister. However, Witter says if there is no response from Golding, the Office of the Public Defender will look at the options available to the office to get a hearing into the allegations of abuses and extrajudicial killings by the security forces. There is a Commission of Enquiry currently looking into the issues surrounding Coke's extradition and the subsequent hiring of the law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips. However, the Commission has confirmed to Witter that enquiry into the security forces' conduct in West Kingston was outside its terms of reference.