In the light of revelations in US courts in the drug case of businessman Roger Khan linking him to at least two high profile killings, government on Wednesday said that once evidence is shared with local law enforcement it would investigate.
President Bharrat Jagdeo made this assertion at a press conference on Wednesday following enquiries from reporters. He also said no evidence has been supplied to Guyana even though the US prosecution linked Khan to the murders of Davendra Persaud and boxing coach Donald Allison. Jagdeo told reporters that his government does not have information from the United States to support any of the utterances made as that country continues to build its case against Khan. “If we have any details about how they came upon this evidence or what evidence they have then I think the police should follow it up to the conclusion, although he [Khan] is not here in our jurisdiction,” Jagdeo reiterated. He said the local law enforcement agency is obligated to pursue any evidence about Khan’s involvement in any criminal act.
At the same time, Jagdeo recalled the issue of extradition saying it was “bandied” around that the US had wanted 14 persons from Guyana but no such request was ever submitted by the US authorities. Jagdeo said “Many people thought we were not moving on this but they had never made any requests.” The president also said he has not asked acting Commissioner of Police Henry Greene about the recent revelations being made in the US, since he felt it was a court matter. “I don’t know of any information shared with us, direct information saying we know he did this and this is the evidence we have supporting the contention that he killed this person or that person or ordered a hit on this person or that person,” he explained.
The prosecution in Khan’s drug trial on Tuesday released a memorandum of law submitted in support of its motion for a pre-trial ruling to admit evidence regarding uncharged criminal activity by Khan. According to the memorandum, Khan, indicted for trafficking of cocaine in the US, ordered the murder of Persaud and Allison. The document was filed in the New York Eastern District Court on Monday and seeks to have the court admit at trial evidence of Khan’s retaliation against Persaud, who was once a part of his organisation. His retaliation included threats to Persaud and his family, seizing his car and ultimately, ordering that he be murdered. Khan’s conduct in this regard, the prosecution said, though not charged in the indictment, constituted direct proof of his continuing criminal enterprise and narcotics conspiracy.
