Tweet
<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Lightbourne defends cl...ition (RJR)...</span>
The counsel for the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the Manatt/Dudus Commission of Enquiry, Thursday morning dismissed suggestions by Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, the Attorney General and Justice Minister, that officers of the agency acted improperly in the early days of the Christopher 'Dudus' Coke extradition request. Ms. Lightbourne is now into her ninth day of cross examination.Lord Anthony Gifford wasted no time.He wanted to know if Jeremy Taylor, the Deputy DPP, had done anything wrong when he sought information about the US State Department's extradition request for Coke, who it had dubbed an alleged drug kingpin."First of all, you agreed from your information, that for it has been the practice for the United States Embassy to seek advice in this way from the Office of the DPP," Lord Gifford said."So I learnt when the Pressley Bingham case came to my attention. I was advised by Mr. Taylor that the Americans were his client," Ms Lightbourne replied."And so, from your enquiries, Mr. Taylor would have been following a practice which had been going on for many year?" Lord Gifford asked."When I came I saw the practice there but I don't know for how many years" the Attorney General said.She noted that based on feedback from the Government's Chief Legal Adviser, Mr. Taylor had taken the wrong route."My advice from my Solicitor General, (was) that they remain the attorneys of the DPP for the Government of Jamaica until the authority to proceed had been signed," Ms Lightbourne stated.The Commission erupted in laughter when Lord Gifford queried who the US should go to when seeking advice on local laws."Minister as the Attorney General and Justice Minister, who in you view do you suggest that the United States should go to if they seek advice as to the proper procedure to be followed under Jamaican law in relation to a request which is to be made," asked Lord Gifford."Perhaps they should employ private lawyers in Jamaica, I don't know," Ms Lightbourne replied. Lord Gifford maintained that his clients had done nothing wrong despite the insistence of Ms. Lightbourne that they did.
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Lightbourne defends cl...ition (RJR)...</span>
The counsel for the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the Manatt/Dudus Commission of Enquiry, Thursday morning dismissed suggestions by Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, the Attorney General and Justice Minister, that officers of the agency acted improperly in the early days of the Christopher 'Dudus' Coke extradition request. Ms. Lightbourne is now into her ninth day of cross examination.Lord Anthony Gifford wasted no time.He wanted to know if Jeremy Taylor, the Deputy DPP, had done anything wrong when he sought information about the US State Department's extradition request for Coke, who it had dubbed an alleged drug kingpin."First of all, you agreed from your information, that for it has been the practice for the United States Embassy to seek advice in this way from the Office of the DPP," Lord Gifford said."So I learnt when the Pressley Bingham case came to my attention. I was advised by Mr. Taylor that the Americans were his client," Ms Lightbourne replied."And so, from your enquiries, Mr. Taylor would have been following a practice which had been going on for many year?" Lord Gifford asked."When I came I saw the practice there but I don't know for how many years" the Attorney General said.She noted that based on feedback from the Government's Chief Legal Adviser, Mr. Taylor had taken the wrong route."My advice from my Solicitor General, (was) that they remain the attorneys of the DPP for the Government of Jamaica until the authority to proceed had been signed," Ms Lightbourne stated.The Commission erupted in laughter when Lord Gifford queried who the US should go to when seeking advice on local laws."Minister as the Attorney General and Justice Minister, who in you view do you suggest that the United States should go to if they seek advice as to the proper procedure to be followed under Jamaican law in relation to a request which is to be made," asked Lord Gifford."Perhaps they should employ private lawyers in Jamaica, I don't know," Ms Lightbourne replied. Lord Gifford maintained that his clients had done nothing wrong despite the insistence of Ms. Lightbourne that they did.