435 / 494
434
13.48.
CDS Saunders expanded his evidence –
“The JDF, through its Intelligence resources in combination
with that of the police, were the ones responsible for trying
to track him down and locate his positions as he was
traversing across the countryside. In addition to that, a
number of reports had come in, which had to be analysed,
assessed and validated which resulted also in operations
being launched to capture him. Most of these reports took
the format of sightings coming from the civilian population in
particular. And as I said in my evidence earlier, it was
confirmed on the 22
nd
, the day that he was captured. It was
confirmed that he had left St. Ann, the Intelligence
resources that picked him up somewhere in the region of
Ewarton, Bog Walk. There was a report at the time, if I
remember correctly, that he was
en route
to the US
Embassy in Kingston to give himself up and he was
apprehended along the Spanish Town Highway, if I am
correct”
13.49.
CDS Saunders cast some doubt on the last sentence of his evidence
just quoted. He was reluctant “to accept it as a fact that he was about to
surrender. But it is highly probable that he was about to do that.”
ACP Clifford Blake
13.50.
ACP Blake was on duty at the JDF on 22 June and he received
information that Coke was taken into custody and was being held at Spanish
Town Police Station. He said to us:
“I flew by helicopter to the station and brought Coke back to
JDF headquarters. On 24 June we flew to Norman Manley
International Airport and handed over Coke to a U.S.
Marshal.”
Treatment of Coke in Custody
13.51.
Lt. Col. Cummings was tasked to ensure the security of a holding
cell for Coke. The Commission was shown a video of Coke in his cell and
apparently comfortable. We were informed that his rights were respected and