Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Suriname court rejects Khan motion

Thursday, July 13, 2006

by: Ivan Cairo
Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent
Email: ivan@caribbeannetnews.com

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Captured Guyanese businessman, Shaheed Roger Khan has suffered his second legal blow in Suriname while awaiting trial in a Brooklyn jail on drug trafficking charges. A court in the Dutch-speaking Caribbean nation dismissed a motion of his lawyers seeking to get him back on Surinamese soil after he was expelled more than a week ago.

In their motion, the lawyers Irvin Kanhai and Gerold Sewcharan, also asked the court to order the Suriname authorities to retract the expulsion order within 24 hours after the verdict and see to it that their client is being brought back under the jurisdiction of the Surinamese judicial authorities.

In a statement from the Office of the Prosecutor General released Tuesday afternoon, it was indicated that earlier that day the judge who was presiding over the case had rejected the motion. No details were given on what grounds the motion was dismissed.

After the motion was filed two weeks ago, and was heard in court last Friday. Prosecutor General Subhas Punwasi argued the case on behalf of the state, citing the Foreign Nationals Act, related rules and regulations, as well as legislative material.

Two weeks ago a Suriname court rejected a motion made on behalf of the alleged drugs lord seeking his freedom.

Based on article 54a of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Khan's lawyers can seek their client’s freedom if they can show that his incarceration is unlawful. In the first instance the motion was dismissed by an Examining Magistrate, then following an appeal by Khan's lawyers to the High Court. The court ruled that since Khan was expelled the day before the hearing, the motion had lost its validity.

The Guyanese businessman was captured on June 15 in Paramaribo during a raid bythe Police SWAT Team.

Police seized 213 kilos of cocaine and two automatic rifles and, along with Khan, detained three other Guyanese men and eight Surinamese nationals.

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