Jamaican Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne took the stand in the high-profile Commission of Enquiry yesterday, and charged that the Christopher Coke affair could have been resolved far earlier if not for the approach of the United States. “I think that what happened in this case is that the United States is not used to being questioned, so their attitude was, ‘This was done in the past so why are you asking questions?” she said. “[They] were not taking into account that I had a duty to examine what was before me before I sign.” She would not describe America’s behavior as “oppressive,” however, when asked by Hugh Small, QC. “I will not say that. I will say that their behavior was a refusal to take account [that] our constitution and our law, which were pointed out to them, had been breached. If you wish to take that as oppressive then it’s up to you.”
