The implications of last week’s request by the United States government for the extradition of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) strongman Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke on alleged drug trafficking charges are expected to unfold in the coming weeks and months.
Under existing conditions, the US request for his extradition would be forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after which it is expected to be sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), then to the Attorney General’s office and back to the DPP where arrests warrants are drawn up and sent to the police.
Coke is the leader of Tivoli Gardens, where residents are fiercely loyal to the ruling party. Details are sketchy, but Coke is believed to be on a list of drug trafficking suspects wanted by the US Drug Enforcement Agency.
His father, Lester Lloyd Coke, otherwise known as Jim Brown, leader of the feared Shower Posse, died at the General Penitentiary in 1992 while awaiting extradition to the US for murder and drug trafficking.
Coke’s brother, Omar, was one of two alleged cop killers shot by police after they reportedly gunned down a police corporal at the intersection of West Kings House and Waterloo roads in May 2003. Prior to that, Mark Anthony Coke, his elder brother, was gunned down in 1992.
Coke’s troubles
Christopher Coke has had his own troubles with the law. In 1997, he was charged for murder after he allegedly shot and killed Michael Porter at the Metropolitan Bus Terminus in downtown Kingston. He was exonerated.
The community leader was also implicated in a triple murder in Hannah Town, which rocked the nation in 1993, when two children and an old man were killed in a blaze of gunfire.
The victims, Errol Hines, 66-year-old shoemaker, seven-year-old Lorna Mitchell and five-year-old Audrey Collins were gunned down during a pre-dawn strike on the community. Coke appeared in court in March 1994, but the case was dismissed after the main witness changed her testimony. She was cited for perjury.
Coke’s rule, however, has not been smooth. He earned the wrath of former Opposition Leader Edward Seaga in 1994, after Tivoli Gardens gangsters clashed with opponents in the west Kingston constituency.
Fifteen persons, including seven-year-old Crystal Francis of 13 Wellington Street, were murdered. An angry Seaga, who was then the MP for west Kingston, submitted a list of names of 13 men to then commissioner of police, Colonel Trevor MacMillan (retired), and threatened to publish a full-page ad with a reward of $25,000 for Coke’s capture.
Coke’s current status with Prime Minister Bruce Golding, Member of Parliament for west Kingston, is not clear. According to sources in the constituency, PM Golding has been forced to deal with the strongman who, like his predecessors, Claudie Massop, and Coke’s father, is well cemented in the constituency.
Tightly controlled
It is well known that like other garrison communities, west Kingston is tightly controlled. According to sources, under the rules which govern the community, gang members who take guns into the community, must declare them and then a decision is taken whether they should keep the weapons. In some cases, members are allowed to keep their weapons if they are of the calibre that is usually kept on the street corners. Otherwise, the system owns and controls all guns.
The history of the community was among factors which influenced incumbent commissioner of police Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin to describe the community as the “mother of all garrisons” while he was head of the army.
There is no doubt that the US request sent shockwaves throughout the country and especially in the JLP strongholds, as many are sitting on the fence watching how the government would deal with its latest dilemma.
Man your talking a bag of foolisnes.no one person can have so much power!Do you tink he is God.JLP PNP play around for so long with these persons.
the next person on the list is the strong man from Mandevel! Peter Buntin if you live in a glass house don”t trow stones.Do you think that in the U S A 18 million $ of stone could purches from Canada drop a port Royal wharf truck to norman Manley air port by east Kingston strong Man and no person in Goverment give a acounterbility for money spent?Leave America alone they invetigate Goverment actions onlike we
u don’t know sh_t u know the americans are liers u can’t believe everthing u read don’t why don’t go and get a extradition order for bin landen punk
Leave America alone? They investigate Government actions unlike we? Bahahahahaha. Biggets crock of shit I’ve ever heard. The US government is documented in their own publications as bringin drugs and guns into their own country for profit. The US is guilty of war crimes that it will probably never pay for (legally). THe reason for this is because the headquarters of the UN is right there!!! LOL. And their on the permanent council. Meaning certain countries carved out the majority of the earth’s pie already. They’ve been working with and against these drug dealers for years. This a publicity fiasco. Trying to paint the picture of the world’s police. In Iraq, In Afghanistan (which they should be), In Africa, In N & S Korea, In Vietnam, In Jamaica, In Cuba, In Mexico…you startin to see my point? Look at all the shy they stir up. When you see them tryin to take cats out like this their tryin to clean up a mess of theirs they don’t need the rest of the world in on. I’m not personally for Dudus but the world needs people against the US unfortunately. Or they will start making everybody on the planet follow their rules, their beliefs, their economics, and so forth. They playin future chess..think Rome…
They can keep Dudus :). I hope he gets 200 years.
mr name is an ingorant sole (as in shoe). It is people like mr name why Jamaica is in its present state.
Dudus should spend the rest of his life in a 8×8 cell. He is more evil than Bernie Madoff and should be treated similarly.
We should be thankful that the USA can help us to rid our nation of this cowardly vermin.
Jamaica should not let threats of civil disturbance affect the decision to extradite this criminal to face justice.
Tivoli Gardens is not a country.
the fact is, if they remove or cut of the head of the beast, two more heads will appear which will be more viscious.prevent the hell and powder keg from exploding down town…..
The post by Mr. Name at 7.08 confuses me. I dont understand why the “hole” country will be shut down, why there will be a lot of bloodshed, why down town will not be out of business, what will US feds get if they go to tivoli. What has Dudus got to do with any of these things?
this is aload is s__t jamaica must stop suck up to america each time they want some one on a charge when they get to america is total diffrent charge they get america the big bully back off or else alot of people will die the hole country will shut down down town kingston will be out of bunsinness and the war will spead all over the country is not only tivoli garden this is going to affect the truth its going to be nothing but blood shead mr bruce u can win without tg tell the usa feds to go to tivoli and c what they get best thing i am saying is stay away from tivoli garden
to kingston 12,people like uno weh agree wid dis only agree because uno dont know the man,uno just believe everyting uno hear bout di man.try an get the facts first b4 uno work wid fabricated evidence an make believe stories.
I agree with Kingston 12 when he say’s that Tivoli is not a country. But is one thing i know ‘a lone ‘GUNSHOT’ ago fire in dat ratid garden’ it ago tun dessert. And for the idiots who decide to risk their lives for a man should think again. By the way Rumors has it that Dudus is paying $100US a day to anyone who is willing to fire shot for him within Tivoli. So tell all your ‘Hot Head’ friends who don’t have a 9-5 its a quick way to get rich. Also a quick way to die.