The spokesperson told The (Nassau) Guardian Monday that, “Mr Knowles is not dead and is not in hospital. He is in prison and is safe as far as we are aware.”
Mr Knowles, who is a diabetic, had reportedly experienced deterioration in his health over the years while incarcerated.
Knowles was ordered to be extradited to the United States to face drug smuggling charges on February 5, 2001.
The charges, initially filed by a federal grand jury in South Florida on May 25, 2000, alleged that he conspired to import drugs into the United States and conspired to possess cocaine with the intent to supply.
He is alleged to have facilitated the transport of more than 1,000 kilograms between Jamaica, The Bahamas and the United States between Nov. 11, 1997 and Dec. 8, 2000.
The grand jury returned a separate indictment against him on December 8 2000, accusing him of conspiracy to possess cocaine and marijuana with the intent to supply and conspiracy to import dangerous drugs into the U.S. in 1995 and 1996.
Knowles is presently on remand at Her Majesty’s prison, awaiting extradition to the U.S., having had his case thrown out by the Privy Council, which after listening to arguments on January 12 and 13, 2004, handed down a three to two ruling in favour of extradition.
However, in May last year, a crowd of about three dozen, calling themselves the Freedom March Committee, gathered for a town meeting to voice opinions against the extradition of Mr Knowles.
The Committee also staged a demonstration in Rawson Square that month, holding placards calling for Knowles’ extradition to be halted; some even called for him to be freed from prison, chanting “Free 90.”
By: MINDELL SMALL, Nassau Guardian Senior Reporter
