FORMER Prime Minister Bruce Golding testified in the Tivoli Enquiry yesterday that a United States surveillance plane was in the sky over Tivoli Gardens a day before he spoke to US charge d'affaires to Jamaica Isaiah Parnell about America providing surveillance in the operations to apprehend then area don Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
Additionally, Golding, who was defence minister at the time in May 2010, said he never requested an aeroplane, but satellite surveillance of Tivoli Gardens to assist the security forces who had gone in to arrest Coke and restore law and order to the community.
Golding made the disclosure while being questioned by Queen's Counsel Garth McBean, the lead attorney for the commission, about footage of aerial surveillance from a US aeroplane of the May 24, 2010 operation.
"I wasn't aware of it at that time. I became aware of it based on reportage that came out of New York by a journalist, who claimed to have access from Access to Information from Homeland Security," he said.
"What I found significant, as well, is that from his reporting... a plane was in place from Monday 24th. My request was made through the charge d'affaires on Tuesday afternoon the 25th," Golding added.
He said that when he heard that footage was available he thought it was from the request that he had made.
At another point during his questioning from McBean, Golding said he thought that his statement in Parliament that the authority to go ahead with extradition proceedings against Coke, who was wanted in the US on drug and gunrunning charges at the time, exacerbated the situation in Tivoli Gardens prior to the start of the police/military operation.
More than 70 people, including members of the security forces, died in the operation. more
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