Knowles, a 46-year-old accused drug kingpin, who had fought extradition for six years, was handed over to US officials in New Providence on Monday and flown to Fort Lauderdale.
Speaking to the Nassau Guardian during an interview at his home, Mr Rood revealed that the Embassy had not wanted to make public statements on Knowles’ extradition but decided to speak in light recent comments made on the matter.
On Wednesday, Knowles’ attorney, Roger Minnis said he believed the government had “hurriedly” executed the extradition under “pressure” from the US.
“Since I’ve been here there has been no pressure from the United States on The Bahamas relating to this extradition,” said Mr Rood. “We respect the Bahamian judicial system, we respect its ability to go through the process with respect to our requests for extradition and we are obviously pleased that after six years, the process has been completed and the individual who [was] requested [has been] extradited and that he was sent to the United States to face trial.
The Ambassador insisted that it was the prerogative of the Bahamian Government to decide whether a person should or should not be surrendered in each case that the US made a request for extradition. He noted that the Attorney-General’s office had not agreed that half of the 60 or so requests made by the American Government for extradition of Bahamian citizens should be pursued.
The American Envoy spoke on the possibility of Knowles, who has been labelled a US drug kingpin by US President George Bush, not receiving a fair trail in light of the classification. Said Ambassador Rood: “The question came up yesterday as to whether Mr Knowles would get a fair trial in the US. And my only comment to that is: The issue of Samuel Knowles is a big one in The Bahamas. It’s not a very big one in the United Sates.
“The fact that somebody may have been called drug kingpin is not going to have any bearing on his ability to get a fair trial. There will be no problem getting a pool of jurists who have no knowledge of him or the charges or any allegation against him”.
Mr Rood said he was troubled by comments he had heard on the radio since Knowles’ extradition, of people who were making Knowles out to be a “folk hero.” He said it was important for everyone to remember that he is suspected of “some very serious crimes.” Knowles is facing a number of drug charges.
Knowles made his initial appearance in a Miami Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. He was not represented by US council at the appearance and will be formally charged on Tuesday.
Last month, the London-based Privy Council dismissed an order for Knowles to be extradited to the US on drugs charges, while upholding a similar order. His attorneys had filed separate appeals against the extradition requests.
The pending appeal was based on his attorneys’ view that he could not get a fair trial in American courts after being labelled a drug kingpin. Yesterday, Government Senator Damien Gomez said the Christie administration had threatened the rule of law by surrendering Knowles to the US without “due process.”
By RAYMOND KONGWA, Nassau Guardian Senior Reporter
