PRIVATE CHARGES FILED AGAINST THREE OFFICIALS

New Twist in Guyanese Man's Extradition

PRIVATE criminal charges of kidnapping and unlawfully detaining a
Guyanese national have been filed against a locally based American
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent and two local officials
by a representative of jailed Guyanese national Shaheed Roger Khan.

This has been the latest twist in the ongoing legal battle since Khan
was handed over to agents of the United States at Piarco
International Airport on June 29.

Khan was subsequently indicted in New York with conspiracy to import
cocaine into the United States during a five-year period between
April 13, 2001 and March 2006.

The update was provided during a news conference yesterday hosted by
one of Khan's local attorneys, Odai Ramischand, and one of his
American attorneys, John Bergendahl.

Ramischand said Khan's legal team intended to expose the "travesty of
justice inflicted" on his client and accused Government of
participating in a conspiracy to surrender Khan to the United States.

The three private criminal charges were filed at the Arima
Magistrates' Court on September 8 by Sherman Ramoutar and names
American DEA agent Gary Tuggle, Director of the Central Authority
David West and immigration officer Stephen Sookram.

Ramischand admitted that the Director of Public Prosecutions could
discontinue the criminal charges but would have to provide reasons
for his decision.

On June 29, Khan was expelled from Suriname while enroute to Guyana
when he landed at Piarco Airport.

He was taken before an immigration officer and denied entry into the
country because he did not possess travel documents.

In the face of an provisional warrant for his arrest issued by an
American judge, Khan was handed over to DEA agents and taken to the
United States on a waiting aircraft.

Ramischand told members of the media yesterday that Khan was deprived
of his liberty and protection under this country's Constitution and
the actions of local officials violated both domestic and international laws.

He alleged that there was a conspiracy to take Khan to the United
States and said he would raise the issue before international human
rights organisations such as Amnesty International and the United Nations.

Other legal action was also being contemplated as a multi-pronged
attack to alert Caribbean nationals of the potential danger they
faced within Caricom countries, the attorney said.

"We are going to vigorously fight this matter all over the world," he said.

Ramischand said while Khan's attorneys in the United States were
focussing on the criminal indictment, which comes up for hearing
again on September 18, he emphasised that what happened at Piarco
Airport on June 29 could not be left alone since it set a "most
dangerous precedent".