'Red Herring' Retired commish defends cop in extradition saga

Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter

FORMER POLICE Commissioner, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, dropped a bombshell yesterday when he declared that the highest echelons of the force had indeed authorised a constable to give United States authorities wiretapped information on alleged gang lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.

Lewin's revelation contradicted months of insistence by the Golding administration that John Doe - the mystery cop - had operated without state sanction.

Responding to questions at an RJR news forum, Lewin dubbed the anonymous cop 'Constable Red Herring', an apparent jab at the Government, suggesting focus on the constable was a distraction from the major issue: the charges of drug trafficking and gunrunning by Coke.

"Constable Red Herring did his duty with the full knowledge and approval of his chain of command," Lewin said, as a pregnant pause engulfed the conference room.

stands by actions

The former top cop - who assumed office shortly after the court approved the four warrants to intercept the communications of Coke - defended the constable, who the Government has insisted should face criminal charges.

"I'm satisfied that all actions taken (by the constable) were in compliance with Jamaican laws and the necessary protocols, and I stand by and defend those actions," added Lewin.

For almost nine months, the Government has argued that by passing the wiretapped information to the Americans, the constable breached the Interception of Communications Act and left the authorities with no choice but to refuse to sign the extradition request for Coke.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who presented the Government's arguments, had demanded that the US reveal the identity of the policeman so that he could face prosecution - if he is in Jamaica - or that he be extradited from the US if he was there.

Early this week, the Government changed its tune and signed the extradition request, but Golding has not indicated what led to the about-turn, and if the police constable was still wanted to face the court.

However, Lewin told journalists that he would take a dim view of any effort to extradite the constable.

While refusing to be drawn further into the Dudus extradition controversy, Lewin expressed confidence in the police force to execute the arrest warrant for Coke.

However, Lewin, who spent approximately two years as police chief before leaving office last November, blamed politics for the problems related to the extradition request.

"All that is taking place now better be a defining moment. I really did not want to digress into this but we must look from whence all problems come: the political architecture," Lewin said.

"The whole political architecture is rotten, it is on shifting sand ... and politicians cannot fix it, we have to do it ... . So I hope that all that is taking place now is a wake-up call and a defining moment that we can't go on like this," added Lewin.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com