– letter found on Simels computer
Before he pleaded guilty, drug smuggler Roger Khan had ordered a local associate to find persons close to a potential witness against him and either pay or threaten them to tell the witness not to testify.
According to the US government, a scanned letter which was found on Khan’s ex-lawyer’s computer instructed his “Phantom Squad” member to contact two local businessmen as they could help locate persons close to the witness’s relatives.
Roger Khan
The letter, seen by this newspaper, was dated May 13, 2007 and was written to a named ex-policeman, who the US government said was a “Phantom Squad” member. The US government said it was one of “numerous scanned letters written by Khan” to members of the Phantom Squad since his incarceration. It was discovered on a computer belonging to Khan’s ex-lawyers Robert Simels and Arianne Irving, which the US government had seized.
Some of the content of the May 13, 2007 letter was enclosed in a memorandum of law filed by the US government on Thursday in a bid for an anonymous jury for the trial of Simels and Irving. The two were jointly charged with Khan on witness tampering charges arising out of Khan’s drug case. Khan has pleaded guilty to that charge in addition to trafficking in 150 kilos of cocaine and gun running. His two ex-lawyers are now faced 14 charges in a superseding indictment filed by the government earlier this week; these include shipping and being in possession of the ‘spy computer’ that was seized from Khan in 2002 in Guyana.
The letter reads: “Please call ‘Dancing Man’ and tell him to make sure he pays the $ on time every month. I am happy to hear he spoke to her parents & that they are making excuses for her, ask him if he can’t have them call her to talk to my lawyers, and we can to work out something.” Khan asked in the letter that ‘Dancing Man’ stay in close contact with the parents and to keep “bugging tem, why can’t she just come back home [to Guyana]? And avoid lying on the stand.”
Khan asked the former policeman to find out who was close to the witness’s father; for instance who was his best friend. He instructed the ex-policeman to approach the principals of two city businesses, named in the letter, as they “would definitely know him.” The ex-policeman was also told to speak to another named man, to find out who the best friend did most of his business with and that he should “push this issue” as it could really help.
Robert Simels
“You have to get someone to look him straight in the eyes and tell him that NO one will accept her attempt to testify against me, let them might as well sell everything and leave [Guyana] NOW! [Name of ex-policeman] you know if anyone of you were here [in the United States], I would have guaranteed she can’t testify, I can’t understand, offer her parents a big amount of money to persuade them, you never know… this is worth a try. Ask ‘Dancing Man’ to make the approach,” Khan’s letter said.
In the memorandum filed by the US it was stated that along with the computer, members of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also found a box and a half of records, illegal electronic eavesdropping equipment, US$2,500, jewellery and a loaded firearm.
The prosecution in the Simels/Irving witness-tampering case is seeking to have the names, addresses and workplaces of members of jury concealed; for transportation to be provided for them to and from the courthouse for the duration of the trial and for them to eat lunch together every day. A similar request had been made in Khan’s drug case before he pleaded guilty, and Justice Dora Irizarry had granted it.
The memorandum pointed out that the two criminal attorneys are charged with conspiring and attempting to obstruct justice by tampering with potential witnesses and attempting to bribe a witness in their former client’s criminal trial.
“They are also charged with importing and possessing their client’s illegal wiretapping equipment,” it said. The government said the two lawyers have demonstrated their willingness and ability to interfere with the judicial process and they are exposed to significant prison sentences and disbarment.
According to the memorandum, the case concerns the defendants’ representation of the leader of an extremely violent, “murderous international narcotics organisation,” Shaheed Khan.
“While there is no reason to believe that either of the defendants themselves are likely to commit acts of violence, certainly their co-conspirators, all members of the Khan’s narcotics organisation, have a long history of violence,” the memorandum said. “Consequently, the evidence at trial ‘will depict a pattern of violence’ by the defendants’ accomplices, that could ‘cause a juror to reasonably fear for his own safety.’” The government further argued that if a jury questionnaire is used, jurors who are not assured anonymity will likely feel much more concerned about the information they provide to the court and parties.
Simels and Irving, the government argued, have repeatedly attempted to obstruct justice and will not hesitate to do so again.
“Concerted efforts at obstruction have included lying to gain entrance to a prison facility, offering to pay a witness money, including $10,000 to one witness, to testify falsely on their client’s behalf at trial, and plans to ‘eliminate’ perceived government witnesses by either bribing or committing acts of violence against them or their family,” the government said.
The memorandum also pointed out that neither of the two defendants is incarcerated and as such would have ample opportunity to contact jurors, either directly or through third parties.
The government also noted that the case has received wide press coverage both in the US and in Guyana, adding that while most members of the press would likely respect a court admonition not to communicate with a sitting juror the order would not prevent them from attempting to interview jurors’ family members, friends, neighbours and co-workers. The order would not also prevent the press from taking steps to line up post-verdict interviews of jurors.
WHY,WHY WHY,why is this newspapers telling us things the entire country knows?? People will never forget all the things this man did to this country and its citizens. everyday his name rolls off the tongue of someone when they are talking about killings and murders, its not a lie….
now sandman here is my question is this the spy equipment jagdeo boldly said he had or is this the dea spy equipment?
I love the “Business men” part hehehehhe
Those were horrific times SHF and people need to be reminded so that it will never happen again. But then, it’s guyana and anything can happen there. SN should have published the names mentioned of the principals cited in the letters so that people will know them by name. The government will NOT prosecute but the public disgrace is another matter.
FOR THE LIFE OF ME I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE TAXPAYERS HAVE TO FEED THIS MAN IN PRISON FOR REST OF HIS MISERABLE LIFE. ROGER KHAN HAS CAUSED SO MUCH CHAOS AND MISERY ON SO MANY NOT ONLY IN GUYANA, WHY THE HELL IS HE STILL FREE TO CARRY ON THIS WAY? WHERE THE HELL IS THE DAMNED JUSTICE IN THIS PLACE? I AM JUST SO FED UP WITH THIS CRAP ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE SO MANY OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS WITH WHICH TO CONCERN OURSELVES, LIKE THE RISING COST OF EVERY DAMNED THING INCLUDING THE RENT (THOSE OF US WHO LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD).
Guys,there is one person in Guyana who seems not to be getting any credit for putting Khan in jail. Winston Felix might be the best commissioner of police Guyana has ever had. Khan was by far the most sophisticated criminal Guyana has ever known. Felix dealt with an international criminal enterprise, the like of which Guyana had not seen before. Through bold and sometimes controversial policing Felix was able to push Khan, the head of that criminal enterprise (a Don), into the hands of a justice system that is almost impossible to corrupt. I remember in the days after the disappearance of the army’s weapons when Felix turned up the heat there were many who questioned Felix’s tactics of camping out at Khan’s home at D’Aguiar Park. As it turned out these tactics seem to have borne fruits.
I hope that the Guyana police and Government review their procedures that led to these results and let the Khan experience serve as a teaching tool on how to break up a criminal enterprise. Felix offered a starting point.
As I said the other day, “media source and PNCR” are trying hard to white wash some of the bad things that happened over the past decade…Are they trying to distract us from the other wrongs?
Khan could meet worse in the US for all I care but many things surrounding Khan’s saga got buried quickly…
Who planned and carried out the jail break of 2002? 30+ AK -47 got stolen from camp Ayangana; its was all well planned. The AKs conveniently ended up in the hands of escaped convicts who called themselves freedom fighters. Their destruction began, entire families were wiped out even when demands were met; the majority being Indo-Guyanese.
To this day, the PNCR never showed any concern over the jail break or missing AKs; they most definitely never showed compassion to the victims of the free dumb fighter.
RK got caught and PNCR suddenly the have a no tolerance attitude towards high-profile criminals. I really wish Mr. Corbin and his party had done the same with Buxton based criminals
The bottom line is someone or group had planned to unleash terror in Guyana starting with the 2002 jail break and stolen AKs; they took it a step further when recruits were being trained in the Buxton back-lands.
Name names SN name names!
correct cummings, felix must be credited with the criminal investigation he carried out whilst in office, and paid the ultimate price by doing so, as such he is owed an opology,
………”But there isn’t substantial evidence to charge Roger Khan or confiscate the assets he got through money laundering activity, or to investigate his participation in the alleged murders of over 200 Guyanese.” I wonder what kind of evidence are we looking for!?!?! No need to use a magnifying glass to look for something glaring in front of your eyes. Come on Luncheon, come on PPP/C remember you could fool SOME people sometimes but you CANNOT FOOL ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME.
I do agree with you, what is most amazing is how come
the FBI and DEA know’s so much about Roger khan criminal
activitys that took place in the country that involved
policemen and army officers as phantom squad members and the Guyana Government and Guyana Police Force know little
or nothing of him, Commissioner Henry Greene was the Crime Chief when khan was creating havock in Guyana.
CORRUPTION !!!
hey mr west bank tha govt nd police was fully aware of roger khan’s operation ,but they just choose to look tha other way
SN you keep alow profile because I want to hear it from “THE HORSES’S MOUTH” if you happen to get a TIP just let us know that it is a “HEAR-SAY” RESPECT THE COUR’TS ORDER. and allow the judges to do a good job…Dis storie beat Perry Mason an Mickey Spelane.
D ada piece gun B Nick Carter….LATS A SUSPENCE…IS GOOD LANG TIME ME AINT PUT ME HAN PUN WAN A DEM BOOK DHA..
Drugs,guns,murder for hire.vigilante justice outside the ambit of the law and a norco government –the result is a fail state.
Once the US is through, the entire story will be published – names of people, times and places. The suspense is coming to an end. The government will pretend that it is a suspense novel with the plot taking place in distant lands. Nothing will come of this – DENIAL!!!
yes yes yes we wait and wait and we will see and hear all about those that are involved…we await the US report on WMD in Iraq too….In de form of mushroom clouds…The good ole US report is always 110% absolute correct…Isnt it NENE?????
clutching at straws evil eyes? LOL Can’t wait for the names to start being called. Let’s see how WMDs will help then
yes NeNe, just as how we waited for the guilty plea and it did came, the truth will be revailed eventually.
One more damming piece of revealing information on the lengths this dangerous drug baron would go to clear his name and secure his freedom.
It’s a pity he roger Khan pleaded for a lesser sentence, all his story is already known by the guyanese people, only the govt is in denial about him, and won’t investigate him in guyana, it’s a shame.
Let us wait and see but all is coming out slowly, not to fast. Let some people jump in their seats a bit. We gonna get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. THey claimed Rawlins killed alot of people. But what this guy did was just as terrible or even worst as they say Rawlins did.
AL me matties dem wake up LIKE Y’AL RO AF DE BED..any way a very good morning to you all I do hope the weather is as cool as over here. nice to have your reactions so early.
Sandie and all other Guyanese at home I would like you know that every time I read your blogs I feel for you and it gives me a guilty feelings to know that I go home hearing things and wittnessing a few not knowing that it was terrible and deeply rooted.If it was not for the web I would have never known what a terrible situation guyana was in.I have now come to realize that it is out of pure fare that no one ever get into details of the BLACK CLOTHS ONES. DO NOT LOSE FAITH, THE CREATOR IS SLOW BUT SURE, THEY ALL HAVE TO FACE THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT
GOD BLESS