US drug accused Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan purchased computer telephonic surveillance equipment from the Spy Shop in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with permission from the Guyana government, according to Khan’s defence attorney.
In a subpoena to the Drug Enforcement Administration from Defence Attorney Robert M Simels, dated April 28, 2008, it is stated that following Khan’s arrest, “FBI agent Justin Krider investigated Khan’s purchase of the computer telephonic surveillance equipment from the Spy Shop in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and found Khan had permission from the Government of Guyana to purchase and possess this equipment.”
Attempts to contact President Bharrat Jagdeo, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds for a response were unsuccessful. Requests to Assistant Press and Publicity Officer in the Office of the President Kwame McCoy to assist this newspaper in making contact with either the President or Dr Luncheon also produced no result.
Simels is seeking the testimony and all documents in Krider’s possession as these relate to the surveillance equipment purchased in Florida.
In a background paragraph the subpoena says that Khan is alleged to have used the equipment to improperly wiretap various high-ranking officials and others within Guyana in order to maintain his “alleged drug organization.”
Guyanese first became aware of Khan when he, Haroon Yahya and policeman Sean Belfield were detained on December 4, 2002 by an army patrol and turned over to the police following the discovery of sophisticated electronic surveillance equipment and arms in a pick-up at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara.
When they were caught, Khan and his partners had told law enforcement officials that they were in search of Shawn Brown and the other prison escapees who had fled the Camp Street prison earlier that year. The men were later charged with possession of arms and ammunition and placed on $500,000 bail each.
The charges were subsequently dismissed by Magistrate Jerrick Stephney at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court the next year.
From 1994 when he fled from the US to 2002 when he was caught with the surveillance equipment and arms, Khan had already established himself as businessman and had also secured government contracts working on a building project at the University of Guyana, one of his local attorneys disclosed.
Between 2002-2006 Khan kept a relatively low profile, although according to one of the statements he released when local police had set about trying to arrest him, during that time he had been involved in crime-fighting.
His lawyers told the court in New York that following the February 23, 2002 jailbreak when the escapees went on a killing spree he responded to the crisis, providing financial and logistical support to the government. “During the crime spree in 2002, I worked closely with the crime-fighting sections of the Guyana Police Force and provided them with assistance and information at my own expense.
“My participation was instrumental in curbing crime during this period,” Khan had said in one of his media statements.
The US has since alleged that a group he had set up was responsible for the murders of over 200 people during that period. Apart from the period immediately prior to Khan’s departure from Guyana for Suriname in 2006 because he was being sought by local law enforcers, his only other encounter with the police after the Good Hope incident came when properties owned by him were raided.
According to the subpoena Khan’s defence is also seeking all annual “country reports” for Guyana and Venezuela between 2001 and 2006 including, among other things, documents, reports, e-mails and facsimiles supporting the content of these reports.
They have also asked for documents related to the results of Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Information System searches for Khan’s various aliases, which are connected to Guyana and those of Guyanese descent.
To my understanding, the “Spy Shop” in Florida was operating legally, selling equipment legally. Why did Mr. Khan need any permission and what is the illegality here? Civilians often assist government’s and law enforcement agencies in many ways, even in the developed countries and given the way the law enforcement agencies were operating in Guyana, they needed all the help they could get.
Khan needed Gov’t assistance to bring the equipment back into Guyana, because it’s against the laws of Guyana to have civilians behaving like the Police.
Could you imagine the consequences if this is allowed? 200 dead would become 2000 and still counting.
Yes Suresh the spy shop in Florida was operating legally. but my question is if a private citizen wants to help he can give information as an informant, not a vigilante. Even in the United States a citizen can purchase this equipment for their own purpose, but not to tap my phone and listen to my phone calls. That would be illegal, and even the US govt has to go to a court to get permission to tap one’s phone and listen to your conversations. Did Roger Khan get that permission from the courts of Guyana? Answer that question for me.
We are keenly aware of the fond feelings Guyanese Indians have towards Roger Khan’s questionable crime fighting efforts. However, please do not insult the public’s intelligence by advancing flawed arguments on his and the government’s behalf.
The sophisticated surveillance equipments that Roger Khan purchased are only authorized to be used by the state police. Therefore, permission had to have been granted by the government for him to import such espionage apparatus.
The question before us is not the legality of the purchases- it is whether the government knew or ought to have known of the illegal activities conducted with said instruments. Many feel the answer is “yes”.
Jagdeo said they knew nothing of RK’s illicit activities.
How will Jagdeo counter this?
We are waiting!!!!
Indeed, mouth open, story jump out! This shows the “good” governance of the current Government. They are just concerned with THEIR well being and not that of the people.
It’s not a surprise to me about those surveillance equipment which was approved by the Government for Mr. Khan. They needed someone to “wipe out” the notorious gangs of criminals(that strangely enough are supported by evil minded Guyanese, including some readers in this column), as the Police Force is a joke, as they cannot protect our people. Who else could they turn to? The Army? Everywhere you turn in Guyana you see bandits, including, as strange as it sound, the politicians! Where are we going as a nation? How could Guyana get better? You be the judge(s).
BLUEBOY GUYANA COULD HAVE ASKED FOR INTERNATIONAL HELP AND I AM MOST CERTAIN THAT THEY STILL CAN, THERE ARE ENOUGH SOLDIERS IN THE UNITED NATIONS THAT ARE CAPABLE OF HANDELING THOSE BULLIES AND MURDERERS ESPECIALLY HOW THE CRIME IS ESCALATING. PRESIDENT JAGDEO SEEK HELP FOR YOUR PEOPLE TAKE OVER THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR BELOVED COUNTRY DO NOT “ACT”BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT ON STAGE DO YOUR DUTY TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED YOU AS THEIR PRESIDENT DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE INTIMIDATED BY THESE ENEMIES OF OF THE WORLD I DO HOPE YOU SUCCEED IN GAINING BACK THE TRUST AND THE GOOD NAME OF THE PPP. LETS SEE THE PROGRESS OF A ONCE PROGRESSIVE PARTY
As a Citizen I am ashamed of this cabal of hypocrites AKA the ppp.
If I remember correctly a commissioned officer of the GDF did make some interesting comments to the press at the time of the ‘discovery of the equipment’ regarding instructions he received on-scene from a senior officer.
Any DEMOCRATIC government, in light of this single fact of sworn testimony by the FBI, (can we call that a ‘fact-truth’?) would resign office by Monday June 09th 2008. But this being a ‘whatever-democracy-for-the-International-Financial-Institutions’ The Sensible Citizens won’t be holding our breath.
Finally, the murder-spree cost the lives of approximately 300 young persons innocent or not we will never know. Only this, That cluster of time will be on the conscience of Guyana’s unborn – courtesy of the ppp
Sing, little sparrow, Sing!!!
Oh dear! What have we here? The story unravels.
This new revalation is enough for the Opposition to call for the government to step down. Guyana has become the new Columbia under the Jagdeo government. This Roger Khan situation is scandalous.
President Jagdeo must immediately confirm or deny Roger Khan’s allegation on the purchase of the eavesdropping equipment. There must be no equivocation, no reference to the opposition, no calling upon the U.S. to provide more information, for Khan through his lawyer has made a specific claim; so the government of Guyana must either confirm or deny the claim.
While we await President Jagdeo’s response, I would like to advise the government of Guyana that the U.S. will one day in a court of law provide all the additional information that President Jagdeo and others have been conveniently calling for.
It’s only left to be seen whether or not the information will be provided during the prosecution of any of those who are constantly urging the U.S. to provide more information.
TIME IS LONGER THAN ROPE , the truth will come out when you are facing life if convicted …….I hope the families of those people who were executed ,and not tried by a court of law are watching and learning who was given full support to commit the extra judicial killings of their loved ones. TO SOME MEMBERS OF THE GUYANA POLICE FORCE SHAME ON YOU, FOR THE TOTAL BREAK DOWN OF LAW AND ORDER IN THE COUNTRY UNDER YOUR WATCH.
There is nothing under the Laws of Guyana that support the Government using civilians for espionage or any other purpose when it comes to crime fighting. The power and authority to carry out functions associated with Law Enforcement in Guyana reside in an oath of office administered to members of the force by someone gazetted as a commisioner of oaths and affidavits, and taken by such members of the force. The fact that people are attempting to justify this with facetious generalizations about Governments usually using civilians to fight crime is demonstrable of the phenomenon that truth plays second fiddle to ethnic affinity when it involves issues of politics, crime, or anything else in Guyana.
Citizens are duty bound to render assistance to members of the force on being called upon so to do under a specific section of Police Duty and Powers. The last refuge of hypocrites is to make it up as they go along, willing to advance any nonsense in pursuit of the partisan goal. And that goal is tenebrous only to those who do not pay attention.
The idiocy in the argument that vigilanteism is justified by virtue of the fears of some segments of the population and the perceived non peformance some agency of Government is that it ignores the widening of that argument. Because why should only one segment of any population group have the right to outside the law to seek redress for perceived ailments when they believe that the state agency responsible for providing such service is non functional. The same people who advance these sophomoric arguments would be the ones most voluble in opposition to others exercising an option they stridently defend for themselves. Again, a present day replica of the Orwells revolutionary pigs exhibiting the equal and equaller logic in their presentation.
Bravo!! Well said. Here is our next Presidential candidate.