JAMAICA: NEW DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINGSTON 000290 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/LP (BOZZOLO),INL/LP (BROWN) AND WHA/CAR (TILGHMAN) JUSTICE FOR OPDAT (R LIPMAN) TREASURY FOR OTA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC JM KCRM KJUS PGOV PINR PREL SNAR SUBJECT: JAMAICA: NEW DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS MEETS WITH AMBASSADOR 1.(SBU) Summary: Ms. Paula Llewellyn, Jamaica,s newly appointed Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP),was invited to the Embassy to meet the Ambassador on March 28. Ambassador congratulated Ms. Llewellyn on her appointment as the first woman to occupy the DPP position in the history of Jamaica. The DPP discussed plans to revitalize and modernize the DPP,s Office. Ms. Llewellyn seemed to break with her predecessor,s objection to working with other GOJ entities to improve case-building and prosecutions. She agreed to attend the financial crimes workshop being held in Port of Spain April 28 ) May 2. Present for the meeting were the Embassy,s Acting NAS Director (NASDIR) and Acting Public Affairs Officer. End Summary. ¶2. (U) New DPP Paula Llewellyn advised that she was wasting no time in reorganizing and revamping the DPP,s Office. She talked about revising the mission statement and employing a &best practices8 management style, which among other things will emphasize career development of her staff of prosecutors. She will regularly transfer prosecutors through the specialized units within her office. The DPP will modernize the filing system (currently hard copy files) and already has gained approval from the Ministry of Justice to connect all computers to the internet and intranet. Previously, only the DPP,s computer was authorized these connections. Comment: NAS presented the DPP's Office with six laptop computers in February. They are to be used by prosecutors assigned to the circuit courts located throughout the island. End Comment. ¶3. (SBU) NASDIR mentioned the Proceeds of Crime Act and the likelihood that it would generate increased numbers of cases for prosecution. He wondered whether the DPP had requested additional staff. Ms. Llewellyn replied that she had asked both the Prime Minister and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice to approve seven more positions in addition to supporting her desire to fill three vacant positions. Asked about the possibility of attracting qualified applicants, Ms. Llewellyn replied that she has given herself one year to turn around the DPP,s Office. She expects to improve salaries and benefits and attract talented, young university graduates by the end of the year. Comment: Over the past ten years, turnover of staff in the DPP,s Office was high. Often there were personality clashes with former DPP Kent Pantry, and salaries were not competitive with those offered in other English-speaking Caribbean islands. Some alleged that the DPP,s Office had become a choke point for cutting off politically sensitive cases. Lack of modernization and adequate staffing produced a problem of backlogged cases. End Comment. ¶4. (SBU) Ms. Llewellyn further related (please protect) that she had to endure much from Pantry. She just had to smile and bear it. When Pantry left, she said he even took his desk with him, leaving her without one. He did not tell her that she had been selected to succeed him until his going away office party. At that time, he pulled an envelope out of his pocket which contained the document officially naming her as the new DPP. Ms. Llewellyn attributed her staying power to her mother who told her that she could accomplish whatever she wanted through hard work and perseverance. Ms. Llewellyn advised that she starts her work day at 4:30 AM. Comment: In 1986, Llewellyn began her career in the DPP,s Office as Crown Counsel. She was appointed Deputy of Public Prosecutions in 1992 and became Acting Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions in 1999. She was formally named Senior Deputy DPP in August 2003. She clearly has the experience to do an excellent job. Llewellyn also has been an International Visitor grantee. End Comment. ¶5. (SBU) The DPP was informed of plans to hold a Financial Crimes Workshop in Kingston in June. It was envisioned, she was told, that participants would include officials from Jamaica Constabulary Force, Financial Investigations Division, the tax office, and the DPP,s Office. Participants would subsequently prepare a Best Practices Hand Book regarding investigations and prosecutions. Discussion followed regarding the DPP,s position on participating with KINGSTON 00000290 002 OF 002 other agencies in seminars and workshops. Ms. Llewellyn said she takes the view that no harm will come from such interaction as long as the players realize the prosecutors must remain objective and make independent decisions with respect to cases. The DPP,s Office will participate in the workshop, and the DPP had no problem with creating an interagency working group to formulate and implement anti-crime strategies for specific financial crimes. Comment: Former DPP Pantry strongly resisted the idea of participating with other GOJ entities in training courses. He maintained that, in order to avoid the appearance or reality that prosecutors were influenced by law enforcement entities, the DPP,s Office needed to stay clear of such contact. Pantry indicated that, under the British legal structure on which his office was modeled, one responsibility of the DPP was to protect the citizens from potentially unjust prosecutions. Ms. Llewellyn,s position should clear the way for future training initiatives. End Comment. ¶6. (U) Ms. Llewellyn was advised that she was being invited to attend the Financial Crimes Workshop being provided by DOJ/OPDAT in Port of Spain from April 28 ) May 2. On her way back to Jamaica on May 2, OPDAT would arrange for her to meet with her U.S. counterparts in Miami. The DPP tentatively agreed to this proposal, but said she would be in contact with NASDIR on March 31, after she reviewed her schedule. She subsequently advised that she will fly to Trinidad on April 28 and return to Jamaica via Miami on May ¶2. Comment: Exposure to the Trinidad workshop should prepare Ms. Llewellyn for taking a lead role in the Kingston workshop. The DPP for Trinidad and Tobago contacted Ms. Llewellyn to personally invite her. End Comment. WEHRLI