One of the hottest topics in Jamaica for the last couple of weeks is the extradition request made by the United States government for Jamaican, Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke on alleged drug trafficking charges. It is also understood that the Jamaican Government has four other outstanding extradition files which includes at least two prominent Jamaicans. It has been weeks now and still the Jamaican Government is not ready to sign.

In fact subsequent to the request for Coke, extradition request were received and warrants signed for another Jamaican, Oneil Clarke. Clarke who is wanted by the Chicago Police Department was arrested at his home in the district of Mount Carey, St. James. So why are some extradition request being signed promptly while outstanding ones are still unsigned.

Why do we have to honour these extradition requests anyway? Well, Jamaica signed an Extradition Treaty with the United States on June 14, 1983 which was entered into force Citation on July 7, 1991. Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state requests and obtains from another nation the surrender of a person for trial for a crime punishable by the laws of the requesting state and committed outside the state of refuge. It is regulated within countries by law (extradition acts) and between countries by treaties. The refusal of Jamaica to honour an extradition request by the United States could lead to strained international relations between the two states. (No more US visa)

Interestingly enough, Lester Lloyd Coke otherwise known as Jim Brown, the father of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, died in a fire at the General Penitentiary in 1992 while awaiting extradition to the United States for alleged murder and drug trafficking.

It was reported that last year 19 other Jamaicans were extradited to the United States. So the question is why the hesitation for Coke and what will this really mean for Jamaica.

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