KINGSTON – Contrary to a widespread claim that alleged drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke wanted to make a deal with United States (US) authorities, Political Ombudsman Bishop Herro Blair on Sunday disclosed that Coke was more interested in taking his chances with a local court instead.
Blair, who also chairs the Peace Management Initiative, told his congregation at the Faith Cathedral Deliverance Centre in Kingston that he had met with the reputed gang leader twice, prior to last Tuesday’s visit to Tivoli Gardens with Public Defender Earl Witter.
The first visit was the Wednesday before, during which time he spent two hours speaking to Coke, whom the US government indicted on arms and drug-trafficking charges last August.
“If I go back to Wednesday, two weeks ago, I received a call and I went to Jamaica House. I was requested by the government to go into Tivoli Gardens to see if I could negotiate the surrender of Mr Coke,” he said, adding that he later met with the Opposition People’s National Party to get their approval, as well.
The ombudsman said that following the approval from both parties, he waited until he was given permission by “a contact” to go in to see Coke.
“I spent two hours with him. I came out, thank God, safely; I can’t tell you what I saw, but just imagine what I saw,” he said.
“At that time the place was already fortified and the officers were preparing to go in. I begged of them, please, if you go in remember there are innocent lives that must be saved,” Blair said.
“The negotiations went on until Saturday. I got a call from the security forces who gave me the permission to go back to Mr Coke, with an offer from the United States government that he turn in himself in,” he said.
“He (Coke) feels, or he felt at that time, that his best bet was to wait on the rulings of the court because he felt that the Jamaican courts would treat him better than the American courts, and that’s where it ended up until Saturday evening when the security forces decided to go into Tivoli Gardens,” the pastor told his congregation which sat quietly listening to his account. (Jamaica Observer)
