KINGSTON/WILLEMSTAD — The Jamaican attorney general’s request to the Supreme Court to cancel the judicial review of the decision of Minister Peter Bunting of National Security to extradite Curaçaoan Shurandy ‘Tyson’ Quant has been rejected, Jamaican media reported.

 

This means that the court will soon review Bunting’s decision to extradite Quant.

 

As known, Quant instituted legal proceedings against Bunting. He wants the court to take action against the Security-minister in connection with ‘contempt of the court’. At the request of the Dutch authorities, but contrary to a judicial order, Quant was extradited to Curaçao in April last year and subsequently transferred to the Netherlands. After the man was acquitted in the Netherlands later on, he submitted an insurance claim.

 

The request for judicial review is one of the many requests submitted by both parties in the past period, as a result of which the discussion as regards contents was postponed several times at Quant’s request.

 

However, the Public Prosecutor challenged the judicial review of Bunting’s decision because Quant had not submitted a request on time. The Supreme Court, consisting of judges David Batts, Sarah Thompson-James and Lennox Campell, disagree with this.

 

The Supreme Court further indicated to ‘be very disappointed’ with the fact that Bunting had given the green light to extradite Quant, which was contrary to a judicial order that Quant was allowed to stay on the island because he challenged the extradition.

 

“I heard that Quant is possibly a drugs baron, but even if he is the worst or best person on earth, he’s entitled to protection of the law during the current procedure”, judge Batts said.

 

Before the decision was given, judge Batts asked aloud why the request should be granted at all after the same Public Prosecutor had violated a judicial order. He added that Quant’s extradition had actually caused ‘the problem’.

 

The hearing had been postponed several times in anticipation of the court’s decision on Quant’s appeal against the decision that he had to pay more than 2 million Jamaican dollars.

 

It was decided earlier at request of Bunting’s lawyer Michale Hylton that Quant was to pay over 2 million Jamaican dollars if he continued with the civil procedure instituted against the minister. The decision was based on a stipulation in the Jamaican civil procedure that someone living abroad is to prove he/she has sufficient financial means to pay the legal costs.

 

Normally, legal costs are to be paid after completion of the procedure, but the minister’s lawyers wanted the guarantee that Quant could pay the legal costs if Bunting won the case. Quant lodged an appeal against this decision. The hearing is planned on October 22nd and 23rd.