WITH THE exception of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke's extradition file, the Jamaican Government has four other outstanding files that are not yet signed and the shortlist includes at least two prominent persons.
"They are not ready to be signed as the legal implications are now being examined by this office with a view to advising the honourable attorney general on the same," said Solicitor General Douglas Leys.
Leys was responding to questions sent to Attorney General Dorothy Lightbourne on the issue.
Information reaching The Gleaner is that eyebrows were raised last week following the arrest of 52-year-old Oneil Clarke, who is wanted by the Chicago Police Department in the United States.
Fresh extradition warrants were being signed promptly, while the outstanding ones were still unsigned.
It is alleged that the police received the extradition warrant for Clarke's arrest two weeks ago and, last Tuesday, swooped down on the rural district of Mount Carey, St James, where he was living. He dashed from the house in an attempt to escape under the cover of darkness, but the dragnet was too tight for him to elude the heavily armed lawmen.
In the meantime, The Gleaner has learnt that a number of fugitives in custody have expressed an interest in discontinuing their battle against extradition to the United States.
"They want to go back, get it over and done with," said an informed police source.
While Les Green and Glenmore Hinds, both assistant police commissioners, said they were unaware of whether the US State Department has an interest in any persons other than Coke at this time, The Gleaner understands that at least 15 people have been extradited by the Jamaican Government since January.
"Meanwhile, four have been deported within the same period," said a police source.
Among those deported was US national Paul Carpenter who, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation website, had been living under a false name and working at a BMW dealership in Kingston.
The 31-year-old Carpenter was arrested on February 11 for his alleged connection to the Santa Monica, California, murder of a German tourist.
Long list
According to the police source, an average of 16 people have been extradited per annum. Following a massive 2004 operation in Jamaica, several Colombian and Jamaican nationals were arrested.
The Jamaicans, Donovan Williams, Leebert Ramcharan, Norris Nembhard and Herbert Henry, a former police corporal, were later ordered extradited to the US.
Some of those who were not caught fled to countries that are not signatories to an extradition treaty with the US. Jamaica signed the agreement with the US in 1991.
gary.spaulding@gleanerjm.com