(Jamaica Observer) POINT, Hanover — Montego Bay cambio dealer Adrian ‘Ruddy’ Armstrong, who was arrested five years ago pursuant to an extradition request by the United States for him to answer allegations of money laundering, has been freed.
News of Armstrong’s release on an application by the US Government on September 23, came on the weekend from Armstrong’s attorney, Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, at a legal seminar hosted by the Cornwall and Jamaica Bar associations at the Grand Palladium resort in this town.
Samuels-Brown, who is the president of the Jamaica Bar Association, made the disclosure during a presentation in which she painted an unflattering picture of Jamaica’s Executive and Judiciary in relation to their treatment of Armstrong.
Armstrong’s case attracted sharp criticism from US advocates in relation to the failure by the Government to furnish video tapes and other records of evidence they claimed they had against him.
One of the US attorneys who represented Armstrong described the case as “a rare, unique case of blatant bad faith, tampering, destruction and fabrication of evidence which was used to indict, extradite and incarcerate the defendant”.
According to Samuels-Brown, who agreed with the US attorney, both branches of government under the then ruling People’s National Party, pushed the justice envelope in an effort to keep Armstrong behind bars, pending the decision whether or not to extradite him to Puerto Rico.
“The strong words used to describe this case are, in my view, justified,” she said.
Armstrong, who was granted bail in the sum of J$5 million pending the hearing to determine his application for a writ of habeas corpus to defeat the extradition request, was rearrested on another charge before he could walk out of jail on August 3, 2004. After spending two years in jail he instructed his attorneys to file a notice of discontinuance in relation the habeas corpus application.
“…on July 13, 2006, after two years in custody (he) decided not to remain in Jamaica to fight his extradition to the United States any further… he had lost faith in Jamaica’s ability and/or willingness to afford him the due process of law…,” said Samuels-Brown.
