By John Myers, Jr., Staff ReporterALLEGED DRUG kingpins Leebert Ramcharan and Donovan 'Plucky' Williams were yesterday ordered extradited to the United States to face drug-related charges at the end of extradition hearings in the Corporate Area Criminal Court.
Senior Resident Magistrate Martin Gayle made the order despite strong opposition from defence lawyers who questioned the authenticity of documents submitted by the U.S. Government requesting the men's extradition and the validity of some of the charges on which the men are wanted.
The court's ruling came days after U.S. President George W. Bush designated Ramcharan and Norris 'Deedo' Nembhard, another Jamaican whose extradition is also being sought, as 'Drug Kingpins' under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The Jamaicans were among 10 persons and organisations identified by Bush as drug traffickers and against whom sanctions will be imposed according to the powers vested under the Act.
The Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, which was enacted in December 1999, targets worldwide, individuals, related organisations and operatives whom U.S. authorities believe are major traffickers of drugs. The Act seeks to deny to these individuals, organisation and operatives, access to U.S. financial systems, all trade and related transactions with U.S. companies and individuals. The Kingpin Designation Act, however, does not target the countries from which these 'kingpins' operate or the Governments of such countries.
Williams and Ramcharan were arrested on the morning of March 3 in Montego Bay, St. James, during a raid conducted by local police, assisted by U.S narcotics agents, on provisional warrants seeking their extradition to the U.S. for drug-related activities reportedly carried out in that country. Both men were charged with conspiracy to import narcotics into the U.S. between 1998 and 2004, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and attempting to import drugs into the US.
In ordering the men's extradition in court, RM Gayle dismissed the defence lawyers' arguments that the diplomatic note submitted by the U.S. Government for the men's extradition were not authentic and ruled that the charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine was valid in Jamaican jurisdiction.
Lord Anthony Gifford, Q.C., the lead attorney representing Ramcharan, in speaking with The Gleaner at the end of the hearing, said the ruling by the magistrate was wrong and said he intends to file a writ of habeas corpus in the Supreme Court on grounds that a fair trial in the U.S. was impossible for his client in light of him being designated a 'Drug Kingpin' by the U.S. President, and that documents presented to the court were not authentic. He has 15 days in which to file the writ.
