Mr Best has confirmed that Guyana participated in rendition of Roger Khan
Dear Editor,
Mr. Gary Best, the PNCR executive and former Chief of Staff of the GDF at the party’s recent press conference confirmed that Guyana was a participant in the rendition or illegal transfer of Mr. Roger Khan from Guyana’s jurisdiction.
Mr. Best said that the GDF as a state apparatus “did play a role in assisting the Guyana Police Force to ensure that Mr. Khan would be eventually renditioned in Trinidad and charged in the United States.”
As someone who covered Mr. Khan’s case initially when it began in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, rendition surfaced as an unsuccessful personal jurisdiction defence. However, it remained a live issue outside of the courtroom since rendition became a prevalent method of grabbing persons without use of legal methods during the younger Bush era.
Mr. Best made a very revealing statement here. First, it is admission that state agencies responsible to protect Guyanese including Mr. Roger Khan, knowingly violated both Guyanese and international law in order to remove Mr. Khan.
Second, his statement is a celebration by a PNCR executive at a PNCR platform of a transgression of local and international law. It should be condemned, not praised as Mr. Best has done. Said another way, it is the PNCR that openly celebrated transgression of laws.
Third, despite his military credentials his statement showed that he has limited knowledge of the Roger Khan matter. Contrary to what Mr. Best claimed, Mr. Khan was not renditioned in Trinidad. The rendition process began in Guyana and his statement underscores this fact. Further, the aircraft that removed Mr. Khan from Suriname included agents from a nonCaribbean foreign country.
Mr. Khan’s removal was the result of a very sophisticated plan hatched by multiple diplomats and ambassadors, DEA agents, and legal officers. This plan was distributed to certain top officials in the GPF and the GDF and resulted in “raids” on the properties of Mr. Khan under the false pretext of wanting Mr. Khan for questioning.
Fourth, Mr. Khan’s illegal removal from the Caribbean resulted in a protest inside Suriname’s parliament by opposition parliamentarians. However, in Guyana the PNCR or parliamentary opposition abdicated its duty and celebrated the law-breaking act.
This is the evidence before us. It cannot be removed. Mr. Best and the PNCR may find that they have a tall order before them, if they plan to make Mr. Roger Khan their bogeyman for this election. Yours faithfully,
Rakesh Rampertab