VZCZCXRO6645
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHPO #0415/01 1811953
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301953Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8495
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHAO/AMCONSUL CURACAO 1053
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1558
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 1441
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0149
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARAMARIBO 000415 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR LLUFTIG, INL, L/LEI, WHA/PD 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
CARACAS FOR LEGAAT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PREL PGOV KPAO NS
SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF SURINAMESE PRESS COVERAGE OF ROGER KHAN 
ARREST  WEEK II 
 
Ref: Paramaribo 411 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000415  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. The deportation of Roger Khan from Suriname and 
speculation of possible U.S. involvement dominated the news 
on Thursday and Friday (June 29-30). (See Reftel). All 
electronic media and print covered the story extensively. 
Radio and TV broadcasts focused on a chaotic parliamentary 
meeting Thursday, during which President Venetiaan 
officially announced the deportation amidst uproar by 
opposition members eager to believe allegations that U.S. 
agents surreptitiously kidnapped Khan from prison. 
 
¶2. In the Friday edition of the De Ware Tijd (DWT), a major 
local newspaper with the largest circulation, four of the 
six front-page stories covered the Khan story.  In its 
feature article, DWT reported that a Surinamese police 
investigation into Khan's criminal network would continue, 
and speculated that deportation would cause fighting among 
Guyanese criminal organizations on Surinamese territory. 
This view was sparked in part by allegations that a member 
of a rival criminal organization tipped off police as to 
Khan's whereabouts, leading to his arrest.  The article 
said the recent discovery by police in Nickerie of a dead 
Guyanese man was the first victim in this war. 
 
¶3. In another article, DWT featured statements from the 
Office of Attorney General (AG), saying that the chief of 
the local police bureau ordered the deportation of Khan to 
Guyana, as he was a danger to public order and security. 
The article continued with a factual chronology of events 
associated with the deportation; that Khan was escorted 
from prison to the Johan Adolf Pangel International Airport 
by members of the police Arrest Team (A-Team) and put on 
board a Surinam Airways flight (SLM) to Port of Spain for 
onward transit to Guyana. Khan was under the guard of three 
Surinamese police officers, according to the AG. DWT 
reported that U.S. judicial officials were waiting for Khan 
at the airport in Trinidad and that Roger Khan would appear 
in the eastern District Court in Brooklyn, New York for an 
initial hearing on Friday. 
 
¶4. Among DWT's Friday edition articles on Khan was one that 
captured the views of Gerold Sewcharan, one of Khan's two 
Surinamese lawyers, quoting his allegation that his client 
was "kidnapped" by the Surinamese judicial authorities and 
transported to Trinidad and Tobago. Sewcharan told the 
newspaper that he had sent two letters to the AG demanding 
clarification because regular legal procedures were not 
followed. 
 
¶5. Newspapers De West, The Times, Dagblad Suriname, along 
with DWT focused front page stories on Thursday's raucous 
parliamentary session that had President Venetiaan on the 
defensive after coalition partner Ronnie Brunswijk claimed 
Khan was whisked away by U.S. security agents from his 
prison cell for transport to Trinidad and Tobago. Brunswijk 
cited "reliable sources." Opposition members demanded to 
know whether Brunswijk's statements were true, after which 
shouting and chaos broke out, resulting in two opposition 
members being forcibly removal from the session by armed 
bailiffs. However, one source pointed out that Khan was far 
too dangerous a person to remain in Suriname and removing 
him was essential to maintaining law and order. The source 
noted that Khan was known to "remove" people he perceived 
as obstacles if he couldn't first buy them off. 
 
¶6. Four of Suriname's major radio stations have provided 
constant coverage over the past two days, with hourly 
updates and also going live when necessary.  On Friday mid- 
day, journalists conducted a live-radio broadcast interview 
with a clearly angry Justice Minister Chandrikapersad 
Sanotkhi.  Santokhi, who had been absent on travel to 
French Guiana on June 29, returned vehemently denying all 
rumors that U.S. officials were involved in the deportation 
of Khan, saying "we don't need Americans to transport a 
suspect from prison to the airport."  Santhoki defended 
Khan's routing through Trinidad, saying it was the safest 
route and challenged journalists and others to first check 
 
PARAMARIBO 00000415  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
their facts before coming to false conclusions. He said 
journalists could have easily spoken with Surinam Airways 
or the prison where Khan was held to corroborate the facts. 
In an attempt to squash all rumormongering, he said plainly 
"that Khan was a threat to security to Suriname and was 
thus deported by Suriname, end of story." 
 
¶7. All major local television news broadcasts (STVS, ATV, 
Guruda, RBN, and Apintie) also covered the Khan situation, 
reporting on official statements from the government as 
well as rumors of U.S. involvement. Coverage focused mainly 
on the spectacle in the National Assembly and the forced 
removal of its two members. 
BARNES