Khan is due before U.S. District Judge Dora Lizzette Irizarry and according to reports, the preparedness of both prosecution and defence for a speedy commencement of a trial, will be made known.
Khan is being represented by Miami-based attorney-at-law John Bergendahl and others.

The controversial businessman who was arrested in Paramaribo, Suriname, on June 15 last during a huge drug bust which Police in the former Dutch colony said netted 213 kilos of cocaine, was expelled from that country to Trinidad and Tobago on June 29 where he subsequently was handed over to U.S. law enforcement officials. He was then flown to the U.S. to face the drug charge in what his lawyers called a kidnapping.

Khan had also appeared in a Paramaribo Magistrate's court charged for being part of a criminal organisation, possession and trafficking of narcotics and possession of firearms.

The charges were, however, withdrawn to facilitate Khan's deportation from Suriname and subsequent apprehension by the U.S.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents (DEA) arrested Khan in Trinidad on the basis of an international arrest on an indictment by a New York Grand Jury in May this year for conspiracy to import cocaine.

The warrant which carried the Case Number 06CR 255 “commanded” the United States Marshall and/or any authorized United States Officer, “to arrest Shaheed Khan, also known as `Roger Khan' and `Short Man’ and bring him forthwith to the nearest magistrate to answer an indictment charging him with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States.”

The warrant signed by Justice Roanne Mann on April 13, 2006, stated that the alleged offence was in violation of Title 21, U.S. Case section 963.

Following the arrest in Suriname, Khan who was with 11 others at the time, including three other Guyanese - Paul Rodrigues, Sean Belfield and Lloyd Robert – said to be his bodyguards, was accused by the Surinamese authorities of having links to plots to assassinate key government and judicial officials in that country.

In addition to being deemed a threat to national and international security, the Suriname Minister of Justice said Khan was also being investigated for cocaine trafficking, firearm possession and being part of a criminal gang.

Despite those serious accusations, Khan’s expulsion from Suriname was on the basis that he had entered the country illegally.

Meanwhile, the 11 persons arrested with Khan, including his alleged Guyanese bodyguards, Rodrigues, Belfield and Roberts, continue to languish in jail in Suriname though yet to be charged for any offence.

The authorities have twice gotten legal approval to further extend the incarceration of the three Guyanese.

The Suriname de Ware Tijd newspaper reported late last month that the investigation might be expanded to other persons on the basis of information received from abroad.

It quoted Prosecutor General Subhas Punwasi as saying the 11 persons will remain in custody, as, "there are no grounds for releasing these suspects, the investigation will continue and they will appear before the judge, it's that simple… it is a 'big case', which must be uncovered. . . so it might take a while before the suspects are brought to court."

The investigators are now trying to uncover who else was involved in Khan's alleged criminal activities, the newspaper added.

Friday, August 4, 2006