Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KINGSTON514
2008-06-06 15:20:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Kingston
Cable title:  

Jamaica: mid-year report card for 2009 Major's List

Tags:  SNAR KCRM PREL JM XL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0019
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKG #0514/01 1581520
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061520Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6431
UNCLAS KINGSTON 000514 

State for INL/LP - Natalia Bozzolo
WHA/CAR - Joe Tilghman

SENSITIVE, SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PREL JM XL

SUBJECT: Jamaica: mid-year report card for 2009 Major's List
Determination

REFTEL: A) KINGSTON 264, B) STATE 29120, C) KINGSTON 417,
D) KINGSTON 470, E) KINGSTON 351

UNCLAS KINGSTON 000514

State for INL/LP - Natalia Bozzolo
WHA/CAR - Joe Tilghman

SENSITIVE, SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PREL JM XL

SUBJECT: Jamaica: mid-year report card for 2009 Major's List
Determination

REFTEL: A) KINGSTON 264, B) STATE 29120, C) KINGSTON 417,
D) KINGSTON 470, E) KINGSTON 351


1. (SBU) Summary: In March, Ambassador Johnson presented then
Minister of National Security Derrick Smith with the 2008 U.S.
Benchmark for certification (ref A). Jamaica remains a major
producer of marijuana and marijuana derivative products, which
continue to affect the United States. This marijuana production,
which easily exceeds the Major's list standard of 5,000 hectares per
year, also fuels a thriving ganja-for-guns trade which has been
blamed for the astonishing increase in violent crime, particularly
murder in 2008 (ref B). While the volume of cocaine traffic
transiting through Jamaica has decreased in past years, Jamaica
remains a transit point of interest for cocaine dealers from South
America. End Summary.

2008 Benchmarks
--------------

In the format requested ref (C),please find below Post's response.


2. (SBU) The USG asked the Government of Jamaica (GoJ) to strengthen
and ensure the independence of the Financial investigations Division
(FID) through passage of the FID Act, which will permit Jamaica to
join the Egmont Group and allow for greater data sharing between the
U.S. and Jamaica on money laundering investigations.

-- In April 2008, the current Minister of National Security informed
Ambassador Johnson (ref D) that he and the Minister of Finance had
agreed to bring the FID Act and a companion piece of legislation
authorizing the new Asset Recovery Agency to Cabinet for approval
and submission to Parliament.


3. (SBU) The USG asked the GoJ to increase interdiction activities
by making key arrests of drug traffickers and dismantling at least
one major trafficking organization.

-- The GoJ continued its interdiction efforts, focused on the
seaside "ganja for guns" trade, which is fueling record levels of
violent crime in Jamaica. Year-to-date, there have been almost 700
murders. If the current grisly trend continues unabated, Jamaica is
set to eclipse the record year of 2005, when it received dubious
distinction as the "murder capitol of the world." Interdiction
efforts against the continued use of Jamaica as a transit point for
cocaine also continued. There is a pending arrest of a major

trafficker. The GoJ has agreed to apprehend him, pending receipt of
the U.S. arrest warrant; action on this arrest is being held up on
the U.S. side.


4. (SBU) The USG asked the GoJ to implement reform recommendations
of the Ministry of National Security's Strategic Review of the
Jamaica Constabulary Force, including the ability to dismiss and
prosecute corrupt police officers regardless of rank, and the
vetting of both current officers and new recruits.

-- The review is complete, is thorough, but needs tweaking before it
is released to the public. The National Security Council chaired by
the Prime Minister is working with Review Panel to develop a roadmap
with timetable for implementation of reforms. Support of the
Anti-Corruption Division by Jamaica's international partners is key
to the success of any reform of the Force. Unless corrupt senior
officers have a credible fear of detection and prosecution, they
will remain an obstacle to true change.


5. (SBU) The USG asked the GoJ to undertake thorough investigations
into allegations of police corruption, regardless of rank, and
create a special prosecutor for public corruption cases.

-- The Anti-Corruption Division already has arrested 25 lower level
and mid level officers since its inception in September 2007 (ref
E). The Ministry of Justice has completed drafting the legislation
for a Special Prosecutor. It needs to be presented to Parliament
for a vote; action on the bill should occur this year.


6. (SBU) The USG asked the GoJ to pass legislation to create the
National Investigative and Intelligence Agency (NIIA) to coordinate
investigations of public corruption for action by the new
Anti-Corruption Special Prosecutor. Ideally, the NIIA will combine
tax, the FID, police investigators, and intelligence analysts under
one umbrella organization.

-- The draft NIIA bill is complete; however, the GoJ remains unsure
how best to combine operations of all these separate organizations.



7. The USG asked the GoJ to participate in one regional drug
interdiction exercise, to promote counternarcotics cooperation in
the Caribbean.


-- Joint planning for Operation Riptide is well underway.
Cooperation between U.S. and Jamaica has been excellent.


8. (SBU) The USG encouraged the GOJ to move forward on pending
extraditions to ensure continued cooperation with the U.S. on
extradition of wanted criminals.

-- Joint cooperation on extradition cases is good. There are six
high-profile cases wending their way through Jamaica's notoriously
clogged legal system. Given recent decisions by high courts on
extradition matters, the prospects are good that the trial courts'
extradition orders will stand. Once the traffickers' appeals are
exhausted, the GoJ should work expeditiously to extradite them to
the U.S.


Johnson



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