A 36-year-old chicken farmer wants all and sundry to know that he never turned against confessed drug trafficker Roger Khan and that he was willing to testify that Khan was a “building contractor because that is what I know he as.”
Ryan Mc Learen Pemberton of Alberttown yesterday told Stabroek News that there is “word on the street” that he turned against Khan and spoke to US officials since his name was mentioned by the prosecution in Khan’s former lawyer Robert Simels’s case as one of the persons who the lawyer allegedly wanted to “neutralise.” Simels was caught on tape with the US prosecution’s informant Selwyn Vaughn making the statement.
Simels and his associate Arianne Irving are awaiting the verdict of a jury in a New York court. Pemberton said that at least one of Khan’s associates was questioning whether he (Pemberton) turned against the drug trafficker and he wanted it made clear to that person and others that he did no such thing.
Pemberton, who admitted that he has several brushes with the law and has been arrested on several occasions in relation to guns, said the only US person he met with was Simels and he informed him that he was willing to testify in favour of Khan as he knew him only as a building contractor.
“I did not meet with anyone else, no DEA (Drug Enforcement Agent), no body and I can challenge them on that,” an agitated Pemberton told this newspaper yesterday.
‘Socially’
Giving a background to his friendship with Khan, Pemberton said that he met the man sometime in 1993 at a house party in Gordon Street, Kitty and the two struck up a friendship.
“We became friends and I know him as a contractor, I know nothing else about the guy, I never speak to any US law enforcement the only person I speak to was Mr Simels at the Pegasus.”
He said Simels and Paul Rodrigues, who was held with Khan in Suriname, had visited his Alberttown home and left a message for him and he later met the lawyer at the Pegasus.
Even though he said he only met Khan socially at parties and sometimes they would “hail up” each other on the road, Pemberton said he still considers the man a “friend” adding that some of Khan’s own people have turned against him and he would not do that.
“I want the Guyanese people out there to know that I never turn against Roger Khan and I don’t know why my name is calling like that.”
Questioned about why Simels would contact him if he only knew Khan on a social basis, Pemberton said that Simels’ purpose was to get people to testify about Khan’s character and since he knew him only as a “building contractor” then it was only natural for him to be contacted.
About how he knew Khan was a building contractor, Pemberton had this to say: “Because he told me and I drop him at one of his place… I think it was in Happy Acres, he told me so. I never know Shortman [Khan’s call name] as a drug trafficker, I know him as a building contractor.”
Pemberton said he was not fearful for his life as “death is in a minute” but he wanted it to be clear whose side he was on. An animated Pemberton then stripped off his shirt and showed this newspaper several gunshot injuries – three bullets were still lodged in him – as an indication that he was not fearful.
“I have been shot plenty times,” he said, adding “sister you know people does want rob and kill you for you money and I is a businessman I is no criminal.” He said other than the chicken farm he is also a real estate agent.
And Pemberton was not shy about admitting that he has been slapped with about “fifteen gun charges but I never get convicted.” He added that “people trying to kill me so I got to get gun to protect me.”
“The police have a whole record on me,” he admitted.
“You see life is one thing but death is in a minute,” he again stressed and further stated, “If I am going to die let me die for my rights.”
In November 2007 Pemberton was charged with allegedly attempting to force a man into his car and shooting at him when he refused to comply. At that time he was remanded to prison by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.
It was alleged that on October 4 with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause grievous bodily harm, Pemberton discharged a loaded firearm at Odinga Stuart. Stuart was also charged in connection with this very matter.
