Jamaica not a country to hide
published: Thursday | March 13, 2003
THE EDITOR, Sir:
REFERENCE IS made to the article, "Fugitive denounces Jamaica's justice system", which was published on Tuesday, March 11, 2003.
Kudos to the local police in Brown's Town, St. Ann, and the police in Kingston, for raiding the fugitive, Robert Bidwell, attorneys' offices in St. Ann, and Kingston to secure several documents. Thanks to The Gleaner for allowing the fugitive to give his opinion "that a similar act would not have taken place in Canada". So since, he knew that why he did not stay in Canada. This would make it easier for him and easier for the Jamaican police. Nice try, but it will not work.
I hope the raid of the fugitive attorneys' offices sends a strong message to other people who are alleged to have committed a crime in another country and are thinking of hiding in Jamaica that Jamaica is not the country to hide. Jamaica will honour its extradition law.
In addition, it does not matter whether one lives in Jamaica for a day or 16 years and have one child or eight children born to them while in Jamaica, they will be extradited.
Canada is a sovereign country and therefore if a person is alleged to commit a crime in that country, then that person should be tried in that country. It is Jamaica's prerogative as to how the police handle raids in Jamaica regarding fugitives. The same is true with Canada regarding how they handle raids for fugitives.
