-President
President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday ruled out any probe into the alleged link between Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy and confessed drug trafficker Roger Khan without factual evidence.
At a news conference at the Office of the President, Jagdeo announced that Commissioner of Police Henry Greene has written the US government seeking any evidence of criminal activity that would warrant a local investigation. But he noted that he would not pursue an investigation of the Minister on the basis of an accusation, referring to the claims by Khan’s former attorney Robert Simels that Minister Ramsammy had facilitated the drug trafficker being trained in the use of sophisticated surveillance equipment that is believed to have been used for, among other things, tapping the phone belonging to former Police Commissioner Winston Felix.
The allegations have led to calls for the Minister to demit office as well as challenges for him to undergo a polygraph test.
“…Every single day I would be establishing Commissions of inquiry,” Jagdeo said yesterday, “If I do so on the basis of an accusation.” Additionally, he pointed out that Khan himself had alleged that the former Police Commissioner was in a conspiracy with the main opposition party PNCR to overthrow the government. “Should we believe that and set up a Commission of Inquiry to look at sedition? You can’t be selective about these accusations,” he added.
The President also emphasised that Minister Ramsammy has no authority whatsoever over the security sector. “If there is any such authority that resides in anyone, it is either myself or the Head of the Presidential Secretariat [Dr Roger Luncheon], who is the Secretary to the Defence Board or the Minister of Home Affairs,” he said, adding that the Health Minister has no authority in such matters.
Jagdeo added that he had asked Minister Ramsammy about the accusations and the Minister informed that he was “never involved” in any such arrangements. “And at this point in time, until I get any information to the contrary, I will have to believe him,” he added.
Responding to several calls for a local investigation based on the information released during the Khan trial, the President said he agreed. “Absolutely, I think any knowledge of any crime in Guyana has to be investigated,” he said. In this regard, he mentioned that he asked that Commissioner Greene-who is responsible for initiating the investigation-to write the US Government requesting any information in their possession that might incriminate any person here to allow him to launch an investigation. “As far as I know, he has not received any information as yet,” he said, “So, this is how we will proceed we will proceed, on the basis of facts; he has written and asked for the information and if we get the information he will act on it.”
Ramsammy has flat out denied the allegations and has questioned why Simels repeatedly named him in a slew of emails as being the government minister who assisted in Khan being trained in the operation of the “spy equipment.”
He has said that whenever allegations are made the relevant authorities should be allowed to do their job but indicated that readiness to undergo a polygraph test to clear his name in the matter should the Guyana Police Force request such. “I have never been involved in any criminal activity and if there are allegations in that respect then the police must do their job,” he said.
During the period he represented Roger Khan, Simels identified the Minister in a clutch of emails to representatives of the Smyth Myers Communications Company as the government minister who assisted in Khan being trained in the operation of spy equipment.
On its website, Smith Myers Communica-tions describes itself as a leading supplier of test and measurement equipment to the global cellular industry. In one of the e-mails, Simels wrote: “As I described to you on the telephone, I am looking to speak to [name of employee], and would like you to provide his contact information. I have been in touch with the Minister of Health in Guyana, Leslie Ramsammy, Nancy Salvador from the Spy Shop in Miami, Florida, and have determined that your company provided certain triangulation equipment to the government of Guyana…. I represent an individual, Shaheed Khan, a citizen of Guyana who operated the equipment on behalf of the Guyanese government We know that [name of employee] trained my client in the use of said equipment and need to confirm same with [name of employee].
The emails to the company representatives were exhibits in a motion filed by Simels to have the charges dismissed against him and a former assistant, Arianne Irving, for mailing and being in possession of eavesdropping equipment. The eavesdropping charges were two of the 14 new charges recently filed against the two lawyers who had previously represented Khan. They were later charged jointly with him for alleged witness tampering and face 14 charges in a superseding indictment. Simels and Irving now face one charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice, eight charges of attempting to obstruct justice, one charge of attempted witness tampering, one charge of the importation of eavesdropping equipment, one of possession of such equipment and one charge of bribery, while Simels faces a separate charge of making a false statement.
Khan subsequently had pleaded guilty to this charge, drug trafficking charges as well as the gun-running charge.
Ramsammy’s name has been mentioned in relation to Khan repeatedly by both Simels and the US government’s confidential source (CS) during a conversation, a transcript of which has been seen by this newspaper. His name was also on list which included drug accused individuals, dead notorious criminals and present and past members of the Guyana Police Force that was to be included in a questionnaire for prospective jurors for Khan’s trial.
