VZCZCXRO3693
PP RUEHGR
DE RUEHKG #0290/01 0951423
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 041423Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6163
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN 7465
RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 2384
RUEHGR/AMEMBASSY GRENADA 0044
RUEHBH/AMEMBASSY NASSAU 2602
RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN 5165
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 5926

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINGSTON 000290 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/LP (BOZZOLO), INL/LP (BROWN) AND WHA/CAR 
(TILGHMAN) 
JUSTICE FOR OPDAT (R LIPMAN) 
TREASURY FOR OTA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC JM KCRM KJUS PGOV PINR PREL SNAR
SUBJECT: JAMAICA:  NEW DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS 
MEETS WITH AMBASSADOR 
 
 
1.(SBU) Summary:  Ms. Paula Llewellyn, Jamaica,s newly 
appointed Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), was invited 
to the Embassy to meet the Ambassador on March 28. 
Ambassador congratulated Ms. Llewellyn on her appointment as 
the first woman to occupy the DPP position in the history of 
Jamaica.  The DPP discussed plans to revitalize and modernize 
the DPP,s Office.  Ms. Llewellyn seemed to break with her 
predecessor,s objection to working with other GOJ entities 
to improve case-building and prosecutions.  She agreed to 
attend the financial crimes workshop being held in Port of 
Spain April 28 ) May 2. Present for the meeting were the 
Embassy,s Acting NAS Director (NASDIR) and Acting Public 
Affairs Officer.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) New DPP Paula Llewellyn advised that she was wasting 
no time in reorganizing and revamping the DPP,s Office.  She 
talked about revising the mission statement and employing a 
&best practices8 management style, which among other things 
will emphasize career development of her staff of 
prosecutors.  She will regularly transfer prosecutors through 
the specialized units within her office.  The DPP will 
modernize the filing system (currently hard copy files) and 
already has gained approval from the Ministry of Justice to 
connect all computers to the internet and intranet. 
Previously, only the DPP,s computer was authorized these 
connections.  Comment:  NAS presented the DPP's Office with 
six laptop computers in February.  They are to be used by 
prosecutors assigned to the circuit courts located throughout 
the island.  End Comment. 
 
¶3. (SBU) NASDIR mentioned the Proceeds of Crime Act and the 
likelihood that it would generate increased numbers of cases 
for prosecution.  He wondered whether the DPP had requested 
additional staff.  Ms. Llewellyn replied that she had asked 
both the Prime Minister and the Permanent Secretary in the 
Ministry of Justice to approve seven more positions in 
addition to supporting her desire to fill three vacant 
positions.  Asked about the possibility of attracting 
qualified applicants, Ms. Llewellyn replied that she has 
given herself one year to turn around the DPP,s Office.  She 
expects to improve salaries and benefits and attract 
talented, young university graduates by the end of the year. 
Comment:  Over the past ten years, turnover of staff in the 
DPP,s Office was high.  Often there were personality clashes 
with former DPP Kent Pantry, and salaries were not 
competitive with those offered in other English-speaking 
Caribbean islands.  Some alleged that the DPP,s Office had 
become a choke point for cutting off politically sensitive 
cases. Lack of modernization and adequate staffing produced a 
problem of backlogged cases.  End Comment. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ms. Llewellyn further related (please protect) that 
she had to endure much from Pantry.  She just had to smile 
and bear it.  When Pantry left, she said he even took his 
desk with him, leaving her without one.  He did not tell her 
that she had been selected to succeed him until his going 
away office party.  At that time, he pulled an envelope out 
of his pocket which contained the document officially naming 
her as the new DPP.  Ms. Llewellyn attributed her staying 
power to her mother who told her that she could accomplish 
whatever she wanted through hard work and perseverance. Ms. 
Llewellyn advised that she starts her work day at 4:30 AM. 
Comment:  In 1986, Llewellyn began her career in the DPP,s 
Office as Crown Counsel.  She was appointed Deputy of Public 
Prosecutions in 1992 and became Acting Senior Deputy Director 
of Public Prosecutions in 1999.  She was formally named 
Senior Deputy DPP in August 2003.  She clearly has the 
experience to do an excellent job. Llewellyn also has been an 
International Visitor grantee.  End Comment. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The DPP was informed of plans to hold a Financial 
Crimes Workshop in Kingston in June.  It was envisioned, she 
was told, that participants would include officials from 
Jamaica Constabulary Force, Financial Investigations 
Division, the tax office, and the DPP,s Office. 
Participants would subsequently prepare a Best Practices Hand 
Book regarding investigations and prosecutions.  Discussion 
followed regarding the DPP,s position on participating with 
 
KINGSTON 00000290  002 OF 002 
 
 
other agencies in seminars and workshops.  Ms. Llewellyn said 
she takes the view that no harm will come from such 
interaction as long as the players realize the prosecutors 
must remain objective and make independent decisions with 
respect to cases.  The DPP,s Office will participate in the 
workshop, and the DPP had no problem with creating an 
interagency working group to formulate and implement 
anti-crime strategies for specific financial crimes. 
Comment:  Former DPP Pantry strongly resisted the idea of 
participating with other GOJ entities in training courses. 
He maintained that, in order to avoid the appearance or 
reality that prosecutors were influenced by law enforcement 
entities, the DPP,s Office needed to stay clear of such 
contact.  Pantry indicated that, under the British legal 
structure on which his office was modeled, one responsibility 
of the DPP was to protect the citizens from potentially 
unjust prosecutions.  Ms. Llewellyn,s position should clear 
the way for future training initiatives.  End Comment. 
 
¶6. (U) Ms. Llewellyn was advised that she was being invited 
to attend the Financial Crimes Workshop being provided by 
DOJ/OPDAT in Port of Spain from April 28 ) May 2.  On her 
way back to Jamaica on May 2, OPDAT would arrange for her to 
meet with her U.S. counterparts in Miami.  The DPP 
tentatively agreed to this proposal, but said she would be in 
contact with NASDIR on March 31, after she reviewed her 
schedule.  She subsequently advised that she will fly to 
Trinidad on April 28 and return to Jamaica via Miami on May 
¶2.  Comment:  Exposure to the Trinidad workshop should 
prepare Ms. Llewellyn for taking a lead role in the Kingston 
workshop.  The DPP for Trinidad and Tobago contacted Ms. 
Llewellyn to personally invite her.  End Comment. 
 
WEHRLI