A judge has denied a request by Guyanese pilot Khamraj Lall to lift imposed travel restrictions to allow him to accompany his teenage son on a five-month long race car championship series in the United States, although he will be allowed to attend two race events in New Jersey, where he has been confined.
Lall, who is in plea negotiations with prosecutors after being indicted over US$620,000 found stashed onboard his plane in Puerto Rico late last year, had asked Judge Jay A. Garcia-Gregory to lift his travel restrictions to allow him to attend the F2000 Championship Series being held from March 30th to August 30th, 2015.
Lall’s 15-year-old son is participating in the series and prior to being charged the man had accompanied the boy to each event in which he had participated. But Lall, who is out on US$100,000 bail, is now currently confined to his New Jersey home except for travel to Puerto Rico for his court hearings.
In response to the request, the judge said he was granting Lall leave to only attend the events to be held on August 28th and 30th, in New Jersey, under proper pre-trial supervision, with reporting requirements and in compliance with the imposed bail conditions.
Both the prosecution and probation offices had objected to Lall’s request.
US State Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez Velez, in her objection, had argued that Lall is accused of a serious crime and had only recently requested a new date for the completion of plea negotiations. The extension, she said, was to reach a global plea and settlement to dispose of the criminal charges in Puerto Rico as well as the pending civil forfeiture complaint against him in the District of New Jersey, which involves moneys and properties valued some US$7 million.
She had also stated that should a plea agreement not be reached, the state would be requesting a trial date within the month of April and in order to secure Lall’s presence in court he must remain under the conditions of his release pending trial.
Lall was travelling back to Guyana when searches of his private aircraft during a refueling stop at the Luis Munoz International Airport, in San Juan, on November 22nd last year, uncovered the cash. Lall, authorities said, accepted responsibility and ownership for the money and informed that his co-pilot and his father, who were travelling with him at the time, had nothing to do with the discovery.
