JAMAICA: 2008 DEMARCHE ON MAJORS LIST COUNTRY

UNCLAS KINGSTON 000264 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/LP (BOZZOLO) AND WHA/CAR (TILGHMAN) JUSTICE FOR OPDAT (R LIPMAN) TREASURY FOR OTA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC KRIM PREL SNAR JM SUBJECT: JAMAICA: 2008 DEMARCHE ON MAJORS LIST COUNTRY OBJECTIVES REF: A) STATE 8126 AND B) STATE 29120 ¶1. (U) This message responds to reftels. ¶2. (SBU) Summary: Ambassador Johnson and Acting NAS Director (NASDIR) met with Minister of National Security, Derrick Smith, on March 26, and presented the Majors List demarche outlining counter-narcotics benchmarks for 2008. The meeting was cordial. The Minister did not take issue with any of the proposed benchmarks. However, the Jamaicans requested that the USG adopt a more pro-active approach with respect to assistance in view of the likelihood that increased levels of cocaine will transit Jamaica as a result of intense law enforcement in Mexico and Central America. End summary ¶3. (U) Minister Smith was given an advance copy of the non-paper (see septel) to facilitate discussion of the 2008 counternarcotics objectives. Also present for the meeting were Permanent Secretary Gilbert Scott, Chief Technical Director Annmarie Barnes, and Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Stewart Saunders. ¶4. (U) NASDIR reviewed each of the benchmarks and noted that they did not appear to be unrealistic objectives for this year. The Permanent Secretary agreed. None of the Jamaicans took issue with the benchmarks. The Ambassador informed them that we would be reviewing progress on these objectives in May. ¶5. (SBU) Ambassador Johnson underscored the importance of the National Independent Investigative Agency (NIIA) and Special Prosecutor laws with respect to fighting corruption. Ministry officials commented that the NIIA was being reviewed by the Ministry of Justice. That agency is expected to deal with investigations of all aspects of organized crime. The Special Prosecutor will prosecute private and public sector corruption cases and will have limited investigative authority. With regard to the Financial Investigations Division (FID) Act, it had been taken off the government,s priority list of legislation to be passed this year. However, it will be reinstated in the list. Comment: On March 20, NASDIR met with Col. Trevor MacMillan, who is Anti-Corruption Advisor to the Minister of Finance and Public Service. MacMillan stated that the NIIA will be modeled after the FBI, but will give priority attention to corruption cases. When NASDIR spoke with Ministry of Justice Permanent Secretary Carol Palmer on March 3, she advised that NIIA was in its first draft and was being circulated for comment. She also said the Special Prosecutor legislation was in its second draft and had been sent to the Legislative Committee. If there were no problems, it would then go to Cabinet before going before Parliament for a vote. End Comment. ¶6. (SBU) Following review of the benchmarks, PermSec Scott said he would like to provide some observations. He noted a reduction in the level of INCLE assistance to Jamaica over the past couple of years despite the major challenges faced by the country due to violent crime and illegal firearms. He also pointed to the fact that the U.S. no longer provides the level of support it did in former years with respect to Operation Buccaneer (the marijuana eradication program). However, he said, of bigger concern to Jamaica was the displacement effect of cocaine shipments which would result from intensified efforts to disrupt trafficking along the north ) south route from Mexico to Colombia. Scott,s concern was that NAS should be pro-active in helping Jamaica to strengthen its interdiction capacity in preparation for a resurgence in cocaine trafficking through the island. ¶7. (SBU) NASDIR told Ministry officials that we are now working on our budget for FY-10. He said that NAS could request funding above the amount currently proposed for Jamaica and asked General Saunders if he had in mind any particular request that would help in this regard. Saunders said what is needed is surveillance aircraft to track trafficking targets, particularly maritime, and vector law enforcement to intercept targets. Asked how much this would cost, Saunders replied that it would cost $33 million for an aircraft fully loaded with electronic equipment. NASDIR indicated there was no way we would be able to come up with an added $33 million and suggested that the Chief of Staff consider what could be done with an extra one million, if it becomes available. NASDIR will consult further with Saunders on this. ¶8. (SBU) Minister Smith brought up Minister of Agriculture Christopher Tufton,s request of USAID for a crop substitution program to replace marijuana cultivation. Ambassador Johnson observed that Jamaica could have a great advantage in agricultural niche markets. She used coffee and cocoa as examples. However, the Ambassador explained that she recently learned that actions of the Cocoa Production Board actually discouraged farmers from cocoa production by paying farmers very little for their product. In the meantime, the international price for cocoa is relatively high and the difference between the price paid farmers and actual sales price is collected by the board. Ministry officials acknowledged this was a problem with all the agriculture boards. All admitted that this smacks of corruption. ¶9. (SBU) The Ambassador brought to Minister Smith,s attention that a vehicle purchased by NAS for the Jamaica Defence Force has been sitting in the embassy's parking lot since December, while the embassy goes through the GOJ red-tape currently required in order to hand the vehicle over to the JDF. All were quite concerned and promised to look into streamlining the procedure. Comment: Current procedure requires going through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance to get authorizations before turning the vehicles over. The embassy will take this matter up with those Ministries as well. End Comment. ¶10. (SBU) Finally, emboffs outlined a proposed financial crimes workshop to be given in Jamaica this summer. The Department of Justice/OPDAT plans to do a three-day workshop that would bring together officials dealing with financial crime from the DPP,s office, the JCF, FID, and the Tax Fraud and Intelligence Unit (among others). At the conclusion of the workshop the Jamaicans would be expected to produce their own Best Practices Handbook for Financial Investigations and Prosecutions. Subsequently, we would urge the GOJ to establish an interagency financial crimes working group to formulate and implement anti-crime strategies. Minister Smith agreed in principle to support establishment of the interagency working group. JOHNSON