SECOND INDICTMENT AGAINST DUDUS?

THE American Government has prepared a second indictment against Tivoli Gardens don Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, a highly placed source in Washington has told the Sunday Observer.

The indictment, the source said, will be delivered to the Jamaican Government shortly.

The Sunday Observer was unable to determine the specific contents of the indictment, however, the source said "It was done to ensure that the Jamaican Government has no excuse not to process the extradition request and to show that the US has much more information than it included in the
first indictment."

The US has accused Coke of drug- and gun-trafficking.

A diplomatic joust has developed between Kingston and Washington over the extradition request filed last August but which has not yet been processed for hearing in a Jamaican court.

Last December, Prime Minister Bruce Golding told the House of Representatives that the delay in processing the extradition request was the fault of the Americans as they had violated Jamaican law by not following proper procedure in issuing
the request.

However, last Monday, the US State Department, in a scathing International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, questioned Jamaica's commitment to law enforcement co-operation and accused the Golding administration of unprecedented delays, unexplained disclosure of law enforcement information to the press, and unfounded allegations questioning the US' compliance with the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and Jamaican law.

A day later, Golding shot back, saying that the procedure used by US to obtain evidence against Coke had violated Jamaican law. However, he said his Government had assured the Americans that if they have other evidence against Coke, "the procurement and disclosure of which were not in violation of Jamaican law", the justice minister would be prepared to accept that evidence and issue the necessary authority to proceed.

Golding had said that the evidence supporting the extradition request violated the Interception of Communications Act which makes strict provisions for the manner in which intercepted communications may be obtained and disclosed.

On Friday, the Sunday Observer was told that other people of interest in the case "are currently being wiretapped", and others "are under
intense surveillance".