IN the middle of an active investigation into the alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger, Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud had reportedly called the brother of the prime suspect on his cellular phone in the presence of investigators, Detective Corporal Keon Benjamin disclosed on Tuesday.

Detective Benjamin was among five police investigators on Tuesday who appeared before the commission enquiring into the alleged plot to kill President Granger. In giving his testimony before the commissioner, former Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe, Benjamin recalled that on March 29, 2017, while at the Criminal Investigations Department (C.I.D) Headquarters, he was instructed by Detective Sergeant Komal Petamber to take a statement.
The corporal said it was while he was taking the statement that Imran Khan, the brother of the primary suspect Nizam Khan, started using profanities while in the confines of the C.I.D. Nizam had been taken into custody that night after reports surfaced of the alleged assassination plot.

“Imran Khan was using a lot of ‘S’ and ‘F,’ I told him to desist from using those words and he continued using them,” Corporal Benjamin recalled. According to him, Imran Khan nevertheless continued boasting that he would have the police fired as was done with three others. Upon failing to adhere to the orders of the police, Imran Khan was arrested. It was then discovered that he was a licensed firearm holder, and had a .45 pistol in his possession. Corporal Benjamin took possession of the gun in addition to a cellular phone and lodged them before placing Imran Khan on “the bench.”

As he was being pressed by Commissioner Slowe to explain why as the arresting officer, he did not charge Imran Khan for disorderly behaviour; Detective Benjamin disclosed that during the process of lodging the phone it rang. “The cell phone ring and I showed Sergeant Petamber that Mr. Seelall’s name showed up,” Corporal Benjamin said.
According to him, Sergeant Petamber sought advice from Assistant Superintendent of Police Peter Alonzo, and was told to give Imran Khan the phone. Imran Khan reportedly went a short distance away from the detectives in the room, and spoke with the commissioner of police.

“He told us it was the commissioner of police, his friend,” Corporal Benjamin said, while noting that Imran Khan had made the remark in the open. The detective then told the commission that it was not long after that Inspector Prim Narine walked in and took over the matter. “When Inspector Narine came in, he [Imran Khan] alleged that I assaulted him, and I told Inspector Narine that I didn’t assault him,” Benjamin said.

Commissioner Slowe had expressed alarm that Imran Khan had been released without being charged. Benjamin’s disclosures came one day after the commission was told that the commissioner of police had ordered the release of the alleged plotter and his brother. On Monday, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mitchell Caesar, told Commissioner Slowe, had it been up to him, the men fingered in the alleged plot to assassinate the President would not have been released as quickly as they were.

Earlier this year, Andriff Gillard alleged that Nizam Khan asked him to kill President Granger sometime in 2015, an allegation Khan has denied. According to Gillard, he had approached Khan to loan him $6M, but Khan instead offered him $7M, noting that he would not have to repay the money if he killed the President. ASP Caesar had explained that due to the gravity of the allegation, the two men would have remained in custody until such time as deemed fit for their release. “Notwithstanding the fact that he was on leave, you didn’t find it strange?” asked Commissioner Slowe, but Caesar responded in the negative, maintaining, however, that he would not have placed the accused on bail, but he was so instructed.

Caesar’s position was also held by Inspector Narine, who also testified before the commission on Monday.
Narine said he received a call from the commissioner of police, who after enquiring about what was transpiring at the CID, instructed him to release Imran Khan, the brother of Nizam Khan on his own recognisance and place the duo, Nizam and Gillard, on station bail.
“I called Mr Caesar and told him what the instructions were, because the commissioner was on leave. He said to carry out the instructions and bail was set…” Narine noted during his evidence-in-chief.

During cross-examination, retired Justice Ian Chang representing the interest of the police, questioned whether it was improper to take instructions from the commissioner of police while he is on leave, and in response, Narine said “To some extent,” explaining that it depends on the instruction.
In addition to Detective Benjamin, Senior Superintendent Rishi Dass, Detective Sergeant Chetram Sewsankar, Detective Corporal Keron Pickering and Inspector Suraj Singh also appeared before the commission.