414 / 494
413
Bishop Blair
12.6.
Bishop Blair testified that in his capacity as Head of the PMI, which
was created “to help to alleviate tensions and polarisation in the society”, he
“initiated a call to Prime Minister Golding and sought an audience with him”. He
said –
“He invited me to Vale Royal and I went. I went as Head of
the PMI and I offered myself to do whatever was necessary
to defuse the tension arising out of Coke’s situation. The
Prime Minister agreed that I should go into Tivoli Gardens.”
12.7.
Thus it was that, on 19 May, the Bishop, on his own initiative, met
and spoke with Coke in Tivoli Gardens. Then on 22 May, Bishop Blair met
CoP Ellington at his office and the Commissioner asked him to go back to Tivoli
Gardens “and share some things with Coke”. As recounted in Chapter 7,
Bishop Blair visited Coke for the second time prior to the internal security
operation.
CoP Ellington
Re: Bishop Blair and Rev. Miller
12.8.
CoP Ellington testified that Mr. Golding asked him to speak with
Bishop Blair and Rev. Al Miller concerning the possibility of Coke’s surrender prior
to 24 May.
12.9.
CoP Ellington said that Rev. Miller visited him sometime prior to
24 May and told him that he (Rev. Miller) had been in contact with Coke but
Coke was reluctant to surrender to the custody of the police owing to concerns
about his personal safety. CoP Ellington sent a message of plea and assurance
via Rev. Miller to Coke as follows:
“I said, please tell Christopher Coke that I am appealing to
him to surrender peacefully and I will ensure his safety
whilst he is in custody of the State because that is my
responsibility.”