Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DAKAR2609
2006-10-30 09:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dakar
Cable title:  

GUINEA BISSAU: RECORD DRUG CASE COLLAPSES

Tags:  SNAR PGOV PREL EAID PU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3712
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #2609 3030932
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 300932Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6738
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 0025
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0209
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0025
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 0915
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0761
RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LUANDA 0394
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 0132
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 0429
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0020
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAKAR 002609 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INL/AAE, AF/W, AF/RSA AND S/P
ACCRA FOR USAID/WA
PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA
LAGOS FOR DEA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2016
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL EAID PU
SUBJECT: GUINEA BISSAU: RECORD DRUG CASE COLLAPSES

Classified By: Ambassador Janice L. Jacobs for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

SUMMARY
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAKAR 002609

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INL/AAE, AF/W, AF/RSA AND S/P
ACCRA FOR USAID/WA
PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA
LAGOS FOR DEA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2016
TAGS: SNAR PGOV PREL EAID PU
SUBJECT: GUINEA BISSAU: RECORD DRUG CASE COLLAPSES

Classified By: Ambassador Janice L. Jacobs for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

SUMMARY
--------------

1. (C) A Bissau-Guinean judge released prisoners who were
being held in connection with the country's largest drug
seizure. A DEA Agent traveled to Bissau to assist with the
investigation and prosecution and was met with resistance
despite GOGB,s earlier pleas for assistance. High-level
involvement bodes ill for the donor,s conference and future
stability. END SUMMARY.

THE RUNAROUND
--------------

2. (C) Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Lagos Agent Lawrence
Alexander visited Bissau Oct. 12-17 to assist the Government
in prosecuting the largest drug seizure in Guinea-Bissau's
history, 674 kg. of cocaine, with an estimated street value
of approximately USD 25 million. This was the third trip by
a DEA Agent this year in response to President Joao Bernardo
&Nino8 Vieira,s official request for U.S. assistance in
fighting drug trafficking. Unfortunately, Alexander was
given the runaround by the Prime Minister, Justice Minister,
police and courts. He was never permitted to view the drugs,
interview the two Latin American detainees, or gain
assurances the cocaine would be destroyed. The two prisoners
of undetermined Latin American origin -- per press reports
either Colombians or Venezuelans using the aliases Juan
Carlos Teran Figueran and Pedro Marino Vega -- were
eventually released by order of Regional Tribunal judge Dr.
Gabriel Madjanhe on Oct. 13.


3. (C) Justice Minister Namuano Dias Gomes told Alexander
that a diplomatic note was required for him to assist in the
investigation. Embassy provided a note on Oct. 16, but it
was not enough to break the impasse. As of Oct. 30 the GOGB
has not officially responded to our note despite repeated
requests to the Justice Minister to do so.

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED
--------------

4. (C) In an Oct. 23-25 trip to Bissau, LEGATT, RSO and
PolOff met with chief of the Judicial Police Orlando de
Silva, who orchestrated the big seizure and has primary
responsibility for all narcotics crimes in the country. De
Silva said he was informed last week by the Justice Minister
that his investigative staff would be slashed from 55 down to

35. The official reason for the layoffs, according to what
de Silva was told, is civil service downsizing for an
International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan. However, Catherine
McAuliffe, Deputy Division Chief of the IMF mission visiting
Bissau at the time said the first phase of the restructuring
plan included no police or military and was fully drawn up by
the GOGB.


5. (C) De Silva told Alexander that the chief of the Navy,
Captain Bubo Na Tchuto, went to the Judicial Police after the
arrest and said if his name was linked to the cocaine seizure
people would start dying.

COMMENT
--------------

6. (C) With the suspects released, this case will almost
surely not be prosecuted. Indications are some or all of the
seized cocaine has disappeared from police custody. While
the GOGB has been making public efforts to show the
international community it is worthy of major investment
before the November 7-8 donor,s meeting in Geneva, this
failure will seriously undermine its work. The involvement
of high-level government and military officials and the
significant sums of money available to them in this case are
the first hard evidence that Guinea-Bissau has begun to
degenerate into a narco-state. END COMMENT.
JACOBS