Christopher "Dudus" Coke the suspected drug lord has arrived in New York to face charges on drug and gun-trafficking after being extradited from Jamaica. He was flown from Kingston yesterday after waiving his rights to challenge the extradition.

At a brief court hearing in Jamaica, Coke said he believed he could win the case in the Jamaican courts, but that he would go to the US to stand trial for the sake of his family, the people of Tivoli in west Kingston and Jamaica. He also added "Everyone, the whole country, has been adversely affected by the process that has surrounded my extradition and I hope that my action today will go some way towards healing all who have suffered".

Another reason that Mr Coke may be keen to leave Jamaica is because of the mounting speculation that many in high places there would rather see him dead than appear in a New York court as it is believed he will testify to links between politicians and gang leaders in Jamaica, including Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

Golding is said to have relied on Mr Coke who is accused of being the leader of the notorious Shower Posse, which US authorities say operates an international drug and gun smuggling network and that has been blamed for numerous murders, to turn out the vote at election time in the Tivoli Gardens district he represents in parliament and which the Shower Posse controls.

This looks like it could be shaping up to be a fascinating court case that could bring many Jamaican government officials down and could possibly bring about a change to the way the whole country is run.