$32-m cocaine bust

Thursday, June 02, 2011

FIVE persons are now in custody following the seizure of 13 kilogrammes of cocaine worth approximately $32 million on a ship in Kingston yesterday.

According to a Jamaica Customs Department official, the five were detained at the wharves after the contraband was discovered shortly after 6:00 am on a vessel en route to the United States from Guyana.

“It was about 13 parcels of cocaine,” the customs official told the Observer. The packages, said the spokesman, were sent to the Transnational Crimes and Narcotics Division where detectives were questioning the five suspects.

Yesterday’s seizure follows the recent arrest of a Jamaican cruise ship employee, who police alleged was involved in the smuggling of more than 50 pounds of cocaine at the Montego Bay Cruise Ship Terminal in St James.

Police arrested the crew member after he was searched and several packets of the drug found on his body. They then searched a cabin on the vessel and found additional packages of the substance in bathing suits. A second crew member is also being sought by the police in connection with that find.

……………both Kizzy and Candace were at the same party…..

ZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKG #0380/01 0781407
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 191407Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4493
C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000380

SIPDIS

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STATE FOR INL/LP (BOZZOLO), INL/C (KOHN) AND WHA/CAR
(BUDDEN)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2022
TAGS: KCRM KJUS PGOV KCOR JM
SUBJECT: ANTI-CORRUPTION STRATEGY: JAMAICA’S POLICE
CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY

Classified By: DCM James T. Heg for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).

1.(U) Summary: At the request of the Police Civilian
Oversight Authority (PCOA), embassy officials met with them,
on March 13, to explore possible assistance the USG could
provide to help the PCOA become fully operational.
Initially, NAS plans to use approximately $20,000 in residual
ESF funds for this purpose. We would like to see the PCOA
become a strong advocate for improving professionalism in the
Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), which would include
attacking the problem of corruption within the JCF. End
Summary.

PCOA STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS

¶2. (U) The PCOA was created by the Police (Civilian
Oversight) Authority Act, 2005. The act was signed by the
Governor General (GG) on December 28, 2005. The law placed
the PCOA under the Minister of National Security (MNS), and
it is the Minister’s responsibility to obtain necessary
budget support for its operation. Members (there are five,
but seven can be named) are appointed by the GG, after
consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the
Opposition, for an initial term of five years. Current
members were appointed in 2006. The Chairman is The Most
Reverend Charles H. Dufour, Roman Catholic Bishop for Western
and Central Jamaica. However, the most energetic members is
the Honorable Oliver F. Clarke, who owns one of Jamaica’s
leading newspapers, The Gleaner, among other companies.

¶3. (U) Functions of the PCOA include the following: monitor
the implementation of policy relating to the JCF; monitor the
standard of performance of the JCF to ensure that
internationally accepted standards of policing are
maintained; conduct inspections; and monitor management and
use of financial and other resources of the JDF. In carrying
out its duties, the PCOA has the power to question the
Commissioner of Police or any other JCF officer; require
presentation of JCF documents and records; enter all JCF
facilities; and take complaints from the public concerning
JCF operations. Any person who tries to prevent the PCOA
from entering JCF premises or who fails to provide
information or documentation required by the PCOA is subject
to a maximum fine of JA$100,000 (U.S.$1500) if found guilty
by a Resident Magistrate. The PCOA may refer any matter to
the Police Service Commission (PSC), the MNS, the Commission
for the Prevention of Corruption or to the Commissioner of
Police. Each year the PCOA is required to report its
operations and findings, along with recommendations for
improving the efficiency of the JCF to the MNS, who tables
the report before Parliament. In addition, the MNS, at any
time, can ask the PCOA to provide a specific report on any
matter within its jurisdiction. The Minister has the
authority to make regulations, subject to affirmative
resolution, with regard to any matter for the purpose of
carrying out the Act. Maximum penalty for violations of such
regulations is a fine not more than JA$250,000 (U.S.$3800) or
six months prison or both.

¶4. (SBU) Currently, the PCOA has no office and no staff.
They expect to get some support from the GOJ annual budget in
April and requested funds to support a staff of 25. PCOA is
trying to locate an office site. They have identified an
administrative assistant and they are interviewing people for
the positions of CEO and Chief Inspector. The PCOA meets
monthly in a Kingston hotel. PCOA will require monthly
reports from the JCF on their activities. In addition,
special reports will be requested on topics like corruption.
Previously, PCOA members inspected some JCF installations and
they studied the issue of firearms. Comment: Acting NAS
Director (NASDIR) met with the Authority, on February 27, at
their request. He was asked to give his assessment on a
confidential basis of the level of corruption in the JCF and

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whether the JCF met international standards of policing. The
response was that corruption is widespread and that the JCF
does not meet international standards in terms of
professionalism, as well as the level of corruption. End
Comment.

POSSIBLE U.S. MISSION ASSISTANCE

¶5. (U) At the PCOA meeting on March 13, NASDIR and Deputy AID
Director discussed a proposal to help PCOA with such things
as better defining operational procedures and planning, as
well as a identifying a work plan of specific PCOA
activities. Consideration is being given to allocating
$20,000 in ESF money to cover the expenses of an expert from
the Police Foundation to come to Jamaica to advise the PCOA.
But, members were asked to think about the proposal and
identify benefits they would expect to gain from the Police

Foundation expert. Tentatively this person could come to
Jamaica as early as May. By that time, the Authority expects
to hire its Administrative Officer and CEO.

¶6. (C) Members of the PCOA requested our assistance in other
ways, as well. It will be looking for advice on mechanisms
through which it can pressure the JCF to take action
regarding corruption. Mr. Clarke sits on the Police Services
Commission (PSC), which among other things, must approve
recommendations for promotion. He asked whether we could vet
(via our Leahy name check procedure) JCF officers proposed
for promotion. The requests would be confined only to those
of a rank of superintendent and above — probably a total of
ten a year. Apart from that, Clarke said the PCOA and PSC
would benefit from confidential briefings by the embassy on
subjects like polygraphing. Comment: If the embassy were to
vet senior JCF officers up for promotion, that would be done
confidentially. This is something we can do to try to

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prevent promotion of officers who we have reason to believe
are corrupt. Apparently, the British already are doing this,
but the PSC would like U.S. input as well. End Comment.

¶7. (C) Finally, the PSC has adopted the tactic of trying to
persuade Commissioner of Police Lucius Thomas to recommend
that police officers be “retired in the public interest.”
The Commissioner has done that on a very limited basis, but
Clarke says it needs to be expanded in order to gain a major
impact on corruption within the JCF. The PSC is prepared to
endorse such recommendations, but the Commissioner is
dragging his feet. In a past case, when an officer (or
officers) were required to retire in the public interest,
they mounted a legal challenge which will be heard in the
Privy Council. But, Clarke said, that will take three years.
As part of the effort to clean up crime in Montego Bay, a
number of JCF officers apparently are being or should be (not
clear) retired in the public interest. At the PCOA meeting,
Clarke (with agreement of other PCOA members) urged the U.S.
embassy to encourage Thomas to utilize the tactic in
conjunction with his avowed anti-corruption stance. Comment:
Another embassy contact, Noel Hylton, is the chairman of the
PSC. Hylton heads the Jamaica Port Authority. We need to
discuss this point with him in the near future. End Comment.

¶8. (C) During a private conversation with NASDIR the evening
of March 13, Clarke said, confidentially, he does not trust
the Commissioner of Police or the Deputy Commissioner in
charge of intelligence, XXXXXXXXXXXX. He explained that,
last year, XXXXXXXXXXXX obstructed the appointment of an American law enforcement officer to the International Police Officer
(IPO) slot that would have the anti-corruption portfolio.
According to Clarke, XXXXXXXXXXXX resented the prospect of having a
“white” man in that job (white could also mean foreign) and
Assistant Commissioner XXXXXXXXXXXX opposed the move as it
would remove anti-corruption from her portfolio. She put
pressure on XXXXXXXXXXXX. Comment: As reported in earlier reports,
the JCF started recruiting once again for the IPO position in
January. The JCF has narrowed down viable candidates to two,
and a decision regarding selection is expected any day now.
It remains to be seen whether XXXXXXXXXXXX will create problems
like he did last year or move expeditiously this time. Both
candidates are British. End Comment. In response to a
question from NASDIR, Clarke advised that the Commissioner is
appointed by the PSC, but, under the law, he was answerable
to no one. Previously, that position was under the Minister
of National Security. But, during the 1970s, when Michael
Manley was Prime Minister, the Police Commissioner arrested
opposition JLP leaders without cause. To de-politicize the
office, it was made independent. But, it was now unclear how
a Commissioner could be removed, other than by strong
political persuasion. Comment: For what it is worth, on
March 16, the Director of the National Intelligence Bureau,
Senior Superindentdent Derrick Cochrane, informed NASDIR that
XXXXXXXXXXXX passed a polygraph administered fairly
recently in Trinidad in conjunction with security measures
for World Cup Cricket. A few weeks ago, Deputy Commissioner
Mark Shields was urging NASDIR to suggest to XXXXXXXXXXXX that XXXXXXXXXXXX be polygraphed. NASDIR confirmed that Shields was
unaware of the polygraphing in Trinidad. Of course, we do
not know who administered the polygraph or what questions
were asked. End Comment.

Tessanne: I don’t appreciate it when artists come inna fi mi country and depict straight BS in dem videos !!! Go xa yuh owna country go film dat not here !!!

MYSTERY PREGNANCY – Me and her never did a have sex, man says

Crystal Harrison, Star Writer

Thirty-five-year-old Harold Smith* almost had a nervous breakdown when he came to the Gleaner offices on North Street, Kingston, recently, to conduct an interview with us.

The mother of Smith’s three children,Jane Small, confessed during the interview with us that he (Smith) also fathered a fourth child that is physically challenged.

Small, 36, told THE STAR that her first pregnancy that Smith thought was a failed one was in fact a lie. Small confessed that she went to the country to have the baby but after realising that the child was born disfigured she gave up the child for adoption and told him that the child had died.

In the meantime, Smith, who told us that there is no hope for a relationship with Small, is having doubts about his one-year-old daughter.

According to Smith, a mechanic, he met Small, who is unemployed, back in 1998.

HE SAID: I wasn’t really working at the time and so I was travelling with my brother who was doing some mason work at the time. So one day we stopped at this bar and and she was the bartender in the bar at that time and we started talking until about a week after the two of us link up.

SHE SAID: In all, we have four kids together and mi tell him seh if the last one weh him a complain about is not his then none of them a nuh fi him.

HE SAID: We never use to really live together, but mi did move from Kingston to Portmore and she did come live with me. We never used to have a good relationship because she used to walk about and sit and idle with friends and mi neva like dat. In addition, she is a war boat.

Smith said if it wasn’t for the fact that Small had broken her hand at her workplace, he wouldn’t have moved in with her because he had realised that the relationship couldn’t work.

SHE SAID: Mi ready fi him run up inna di DNA test because all a dem a fi him. You fi ask him why him nah ‘min’ him pickney dem and why him fling and lick mi inna mi head with di padlock.

HE SAID: A lie you a tell. You know seh dat you is a wicked woman? Because mi support my yute dem and a you did grab mi inna mi neck and mi flash off yuh hand. She was even biting me. A lock mi did a lock her out because mi did tell her dat the relationship finish.

SHE SAID: Him a tell mi fi leave him place like him own it; but a because mi nuh get nuh work yet why mi nuh move out.

HE SAID: My problem is dat the time that she get pregnant me and her never did a have sex, so how she fi become pregnant.

SHE SAID: Mi get pregnant di February of 2009, di same month of mi faada funeral and mi nah tek back mi talk.

HE SAID: Dat girl is telling a lot of lies and you cannot trust her. A di wickedest ting dat because a same way when mi did a try mek life out of mi little shop inna Portmore she tek six months fi nyaam it down and mi nuh see nuh money. You see seh she is a liar because she wait until now to tell me dat di first child dat she did claim seh dead is actually alive. She wait until now to tell me dat because di pickney born handicap and she never want it, she did give weh di pickney to homes.

SHE SAID: Even though it’s my child, me never want it. Weh mi a do wid dat? Di pickney born with a hole inna him nose and him ears dem pin on together. Me and mi maada decide to give a way di child.

HE SAID: Listen if dat mek sense, when she did get pregnant, yes mi did kind a see her with a belly, but she did move to the country around five months pregnant. In dat same week, she tell seh di child born and di following day she call back seh di pickney dead. How can I believe a woman like dat? I want dis DNA test because di last child that she claim is mine a nuh me breed her. Plus even if my pickney would born disfigured me would a still want dat child.

Name changed.

Today, we continue with one of our latest and perhaps most buzzworthy features, Paternity Puzzle. The feature will attempt to help families solve paternity disputes. Every Wednesday, we will publish the story of a mother and an alleged father, who will both give their sides in tales of allegations and denials.

Be sure to follow the series as THE STAR awards a free DNA test sponsored by Caribbean Genetics. Each month, one of the four cases published will get a free test and reveal the truth once and for all