Gov’t must come clean on Roger Khan - PNCR

Gov’t must come clean on Roger Khan - PNCR
Stabroek News news item. Saturday May 24, 2008
http://www.stabroeknews.com/?p=14848

The opposition PNCR is calling on the PPP/C government to come clean about its knowledge of drug accused Guyanese Roger Khan and his activities, stating that the party “could not have been unaware of his extensive narco-related activities”.
Khan’s alleged drug trafficking and crime organization activities have been coming to light in legal arguments as the US government prepares for his trial, scheduled to begin in October.
Reading a prepared statement at its weekly press briefing at Congress Place yesterday, PNCR Central Executive Member Lance Carberry noted that it had been said that “the organization, headed by Roger Khan had not only exported cocaine to that country but was responsible for the deaths of over 200 individuals.”According to the party, it was as a result of the findings that PNCR Leader Robert Corbin reiterated a call for an independent inquiry into “the death squads in Guyana.”
Carberry said the PPP’s response has been to deny all knowledge of Khan and his activities.
The party’s statement also said that when Khan was arrested in Suriname in 2006, that country’s Minister of Justice and Police Chandrika Persad Santokhi had disclosed that the Surinamese government had exchanged information with the Guyana government about Khan.
He quoted Khan’s statement prior to his arrest and detention by the US government that he had worked closely with police and provided them with assistance at his own expense during the crime spree in 2002. Carberry then said that any normal person would ask how it was possible for an individual to carry out major activities with the police force of a country and the government would not know that this was taking place.
He recalled that when Khan was arrested at Good Hope in 2002, one of the men arrested along with him was a serving policeman and the computer in Khan’s possession at the time was one which could only be purchased by a government.
“The evidence is clear that, not only did the Jagdeo administration know of Roger Khan but also aided and abetted his nefarious activities,” the statement said.
Asked for a comment on the PNCR’s statement on details emerging from the case and which the government should have knowledge about, Presidential Advisor on Governance Gail Teixeira responded with a question.
“How is it expected that any government provide details coming out of a trial taking place in another country when all they have access to, are newspaper reports?” she asked.
Stabroek News tried to make contact with PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar to elicit a comment on the PNCR’s statement without success.