‘Never used since confiscated’
President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday said that the spy equipment seized from drug accused businessman, Roger Khan over five years ago by the army is in the custody of the police and it has never worked since it was confiscated.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday at the Office of the President, Jagdeo reiterated what he said at a New York press conference last week that the Government of Guyana could not give permission to Khan to import the sophisticated computer telephonic surveillance equipment from the Spy Shop in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as was being claimed by his attorney. Jagdeo said it was only the US government, which could have done that. He said they have however since requested information from the US State Department on that issue as well as allegations from the US government that Khan may have been tied to a group responsible for over 200 murders during the period of 2002-2006. “We don’t have any hard evidence about these claims but we have nothing to hide so we have requested the information from the US and whatever are the responses we will make it public,” Jagdeo declared.
The whereabouts of the spy equipment after it was confiscated from Khan has always been an issue and only last week, the Secretary to the Defence Board, Dr Roger Luncheon could not say where it was when asked.
In a subpoena to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, Khan’s lawyers stated: “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.” The defence 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.” The equipment was seized on December 4, 2002 by an army patrol and turned over to the police.
Khan was later tried in a local court and freed, but since then there has been no public information on what happened to the equipment and many questions posed to officials by this newspaper on how the equipment came into the country and what happened to it after the court case went unanswered.
Stabroek News was told that following the seizure the equipment was confiscated and handed over to the government. It was then passed back to Khan at a later stage and similar type of equipment was handed to the police under the guise that it was the one that was seized. At one time the army had said that it had turned over the equipment to the police but the police later seemed not to know of its whereabouts. Reports had indicated that the laptop was capable of intercepting and tracing telephone calls made from a landline or a cellular phone and the software is reportedly only sold to governments.
At the time, then Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj said the use of the instrument did not breach any of the laws of Guyana.
I WOUNDER IF DR ROGER LUNCHEON IS THEY REAL SECRETARY OF DEFENCE OR JUST THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE DEFENCE WHEN ASK IF HE NEW THE WHERE ABOUT THE SPY EQUIPMENT HE COULD NOT SAY WHO HAND IT WAS IN…NOW U ASK THE PRESIDENT BHARRAT JAGDEO THE SAME QUESTION HE ANSWER SPY EQUIPMENT SEIZED FROM ROGER KHAN OVER 5 YEARS AGO BY THE ARMY IS IN THE POLICE CUSTODY.
O YEA 5 YEARS AGO SPY EQUIPMENT IN POLICE CUSTODY
MY QUESTION IS WHERE WAS ROGER LUNCHEON 5 YEARS AGO?
luncheon was out to lunch
You would think the president and his high ranking officials of his regime huddled up to determine the whereabouts of the equipment when the story first hit the street. Just last week Mr. Luncheon didn’t know the whereabouts. You would believe if the president knew the whereabouts of the equipment then Mr. Luncheon would definitely know, right??? Is there a chain of command that’s established with this regime????
games games games
it will all catch up with them in the end
Roger Luncheon don’t talk to Jagdeo about what he gon say to the press and Jagdeo don’t talk to Luncheon. So that’s why they story conflicting. My grandmudda always used to tell me not to lie cause ya gon get caught. Each time ya will have to tell one lie to cover up another and soon will forget which ya tell when.
Jagdeo sticking with, the US give RK permission to import the stuff. I want to see when the FBI prove contrary what the story gon change to.
This is very sad and ridiculous. Mr. Jagdeo was a promising candidate now….
WOW….. How all of a sudden the great president knows where the equipment is and the Secretary to the Defence Board, Dr Roger Luncheon didn’t have a clue as to the whereabouts of the equipment. HAHAHAHA.
This is an indication of how unstructured the Government of Guyana is. I am pretty sure when the RK story started exposing the Government, you would think the president would gather all his top officials together to find out what happened to the equipment. Weeks passed by and his top officials kept saying they don’t know the whereabouts of the equipment. Now the president knows where it is. What in the world is going on here?
Sure! And Winston Felix used it to tape himself! If anyone believes this, I’ve got the Brooklyn Bridge to sell them.
I’m not mad anymore, I am just going to get my popcorn and cola out, pull up a chair, and enjoy this govt squirming with multiple stories the closer it gets to showtime, and then when the trial starts in October, I expect to start laughing ’till it ends, especially at the ending when I expect we’re going to hear the deafening silence and see the Govt cringing under the angry glare of Guyanese all over the world.
It’s not a good place to be when you’re the president of a country and the nation knows when you’re lying by your mouth moving. Ask Bush!
well the equipment is in the hands of the police …we FEEL SO safe and reassured that all is now well especially now that they claim one of the most wanted men in the land escaped without any hindrance.hmmmmmmmmmm
Does the Government of Guyana think that Guyanese are fools? You can fool some of the people all the time, but u cannot fool the same people all the time.
For 5 years, no one, no one knew where this spy equiptment was. Dr. Luncheon didn’t know, Mr. President didn’t know, now the squeeze is on, the President knows that it was in the army ’s safe keeping, and now the police had it all the time.
I think Mr. President, that you should always keep records of your statements, because if u don’t, u know Guyanese, they don’t forget, they would remind u of what you have stated.
Jagdeo/Luncheon need to retire and let competent person(s) run Guyana
“Competent person(s)”
Like who for instance? You want a shot at running GT?.. i didn’t think so… thats why you’re in the US. ;-) I don’t blame ya either.
Well now they’re gonna use the equipment to track Skinny since the brand new helicopters are out of commission (anyone recall the press release from GINA where they were instructed not to inform the public of this because it would be a big embarassment to Jagdeo after he bused out at two people more than qualified individuals about the purchase of the helicopters – that it was a bad deal to begin with).
In the land of the blind, the one eye man is the KING – long live King Jagdeo, now Guyanese can sleep peaceful at nights and not be worried that Skinny or Fineman will murder them while they are asleep.
Where was Jagdeo when that question was being aked several weeks ago?
Surprising that you aint know that ” HE was having Christmas at De Falls”!!!!!!!
He was lending an ear to Rickford Burke’s mission about African marginalization and jetting setting around the globe.