JAMAICA: U.S. REQUEST TO EXTRADITE POWERFUL "DON"

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000666

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR (J.MACK-WILSON, W.SMITH, V.DEPIRRO)
L/LEI (C.HOLLAND, A.KLUESNER)
INR/IAA (G.BOHIGIAN)
JUSTICE FOR OIA (P.PETTY)
TREASURY FOR IA/WH (E.NEPHEW)
PASS TO CENTRAL AMERICAN CARIBBEAN BASIN COLLECTIVE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2019
TAGS: CJAN CVIS PREL PGOV PINR ASEC SNAR SOCI KCOR
KCRM, JM, BR, XL
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: U.S. REQUEST TO EXTRADITE POWERFUL "DON"
PRESENTS GOVERNMENT WITH A DANGEROUS DILEMMA; KINGSTON
MAYOR WARNS OF "SEVERE REPERCUSSIONS"

REF: A. STATE 85807 (181409Z AUG 09)(NOTAL)

B. KINGSTON 655 (2821557Z AUG 09)

C. 08 KINGSTON 972 (171906Z NOV 08)(NOTAL)

Classified By: CDA ISIAH L. PARNELL, Reasons 1.5 (B) AND (D)

Summary and Analysis
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1.(C) The U.S. request to extradite a powerful "Don" with
close ties to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has
presented Prime Minister (PM) Bruce Golding's Government with
a dangerous dilemma: the requested extradition could spark
violent incidents, ignite rivalries among competing gang
factions, and unleash a challenge to the state and to
Golding's own influence in West Kingston and beyond. The
Mayor of Kingston warns of "severe repercussions" and
"collateral damage." His fears are not unfounded.
End Summary and Analysis.

The Mayor's perspective: severe repercussions
-------------- -

2.(C) The Mayor of Kingston and St. Andrew, Councillor
Desmond Anthony McKenzie, requested to meet with EmbOff on
September 1 to discuss an "urgent" matter; the private
meeting was held in his downtown office. The Mayor began by
stating pointedly that the Government of Jamaica (GoJ) faced
a serious crisis because of Washington's request for the
extradition of Christopher Coke to stand trial on narcotics
and firearms charges in the U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York (reftels A,B). He predicted
that there would be "severe repercussions" and "collateral
damage" if Coke were arrested, and that this would "risk
destroying everything the Government was trying to do on the
economy and crime." The Mayor said that in recent years his
administration had worked with Coke to reduce crime in the
inner cities of Jamaica, particularly in West Kingston. If
he now were extradited, this would "leave a vacuum," and
matters would be much worse. McKenzie noted that in recent
days several of his "contacts in the communities" had told
him they "would not take this (Coke s extradition) lying
down."

A "grim picture of the reality we face"
--------------

3.(C) McKenzie then asked if there were any room for further
discussions with U.S. officials. EmbOff replied by
reiterating that the U.S. expected Jamaica to honor its
obligations under the Extradition Treaty, and considered this
a case of great importance; however, the Embassy would convey
the Mayor's assessment and inquiry to Washington. McKenzie
concluded by observing that his views were not only an
assessment, but accurately portrayed the "grim picture of the
reality we face."

Background: a powerful, well-connected "Don"
--------------

4.(C) Christopher Michael "Dudus" Coke is a wealthy "Don" who
wields extraordinary power in the West Kingston inner city
"garrison community" of Tivoli Gardens, whose Member of
Parliament (MP) is Prime Minister Bruce Golding. Coke
reputedly is closely connected with leading figures within
Golding's Jamaica Labour Party (JLP),including McKenzie. In
the island state's tribal political culture, over the years
both major parties have developed symbiotic ties of patronage
and influence with the "Dons" who control the garrison
communities, and whose powers have grown as Jamaica's economy
has struggled. Coke's gang provides social and welfare
services and turns out the JLP vote in elections, while his
business interests profit from lucrative Government
contracts. He is the son of the late Lester Lloyd "Jim
Brown" Coke, who, together with the recently deported Vivian


Blake, for years master-minded the notorious "Shower Posse"
drug gang, which wreaked havoc in Jamaica, the USA, and UK.
"Jim Brown" died in prison under mysterious circumstances
while awaiting extradition to the U.S. in 1992.

Analysis: a desperate Mayor, a nervous capital city
-------------- --------------

5.(C) McKenzie's fears are not unfounded: Coke's wealth,
power, and influence are pervasive, and his sudden removal
could spark violent incidents and/or unleash rivalries among
competing gang factions in Kingston, Spanish Town, and
Montego Bay. He is easily the highest profile figure whose
extradition has been requested in many years, and his
long-standing ties to the JLP have put McKenzie, Golding, and
other leading Party figures in an extremely awkward position.
(Note: The incendiary potential of rivalries among the
various gangs with ties to the JLP was demonstrated during
the Party's annual conference in November, 2008, when an
eruption of gang-related violence at the packed national
arena left one dead and several wounded, reftel C. End
Note.) Rumors in circulation over recent days have ranged
from a false report of Coke's arrest to speculation that he
will attempt to flee to Brazil.

Media Perspective: Do the right thing
--------------

6.(SBU) Local media have focused on the difficult challenge
facing the JLP Government in extraditing Coke, but no one
(aside from his prospective attorney, Tom Tavares-Finson)
seriously maintains his innocence. The "Observer" newspaper,
generally sympathetic to the JLP, maintained in an editorial
of August 30: "They say he's a 'Don,' a good man who has kept
many bellies in Tivoli Gardens full over the years. That may
be so, but it cannot be the basis on which to resist an
extradition request. We must, as a civilized, democratic
society, be prepared to stand or fall with the systems of
justice to which our Government has subscribed, bellyful or
no bellyful." A Sept. 1 editorial in the "Gleaner" newspaper
(generally more sympathetic to the opposition People's
National Party),referred to: "the dilemma faced by the
Golding administration ) a concern that an attempt to
extradite someone whom a community views as benefactor could
unleash a challenge to the state and to the JLP's and Mr.
Golding's own influence in West Kingston. And perhaps
elsewhere," but concluded: "we expect the administration,
unswayed by politics, to do the right thing ) which Mr.
Golding promised would be the hallmark of his leadership. To
do otherwise, not only diminishes Mr. Golding, but will hurt
Jamaica's interests, political and economic, in the
international community."
PARNELL