Jurors peruse Vaughn/Simels taped conversation …as fourth day passes without verdict

Aug 18, 2009 News

Jurors deliberating the Robert Simels/Arianne Irving obstruction, witness tampering and illegal importation case, in New York, USA, have requested additional extracts of testimonies to assist them as they completed the fourth full day of working towards a verdict.

The 12-member jury requested the tapes of certain aspects of the conversation between Attorney, turned defendant, Robert Simels, and the US Government confidential informer, Selwyn Vaughn.

Of particular interest to the jury is what the two said about locating one Farrah Singh who was said to be a good friend of Alicia Jagnarine.

They also heard the two speaking of the strategy to be employed to locate Singh, whose work address and photograph Simels handed to Vaughn, while an unidentified female provided directions to the Strip Club.

Alicia Jagnarine was tipped as a main witness against Guyanese drug dealer Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan’s drug enterprise and was described as being a “problem.”

The men said that Singh was employed as a bartender at a Strip Club on Liberty Avenue in the Rockaway area and she was described by them as one who would “be able to say what we want her to.”

In one of the tapes, Vaughn, as if seeking approval from the man he formerly called Bossman or Shortman, tells Simels that “Roger has to say how far he is prepared to go.”

Yesterday, the requested taped portion of the recording was first heard in Court by Judge John Gleeson and the defence and prosecution teams before these were played for the jury.

The jurors, many of whom paid rapt attention to the recordings, also refreshed their memories of the conversation between Simels and Vaughn about Simels informing Khan, his then client, that money was needed to pay to locate the witnesses on a list.

That money had to be made available to cover transportation cost incurred to locate those on the list and to purchase unregistered cell phones as these could be thrown away after use.

Among the other materials requested by the jury was the affidavit prepared by Simels for one Ryan Pemberton who, if he had signed it, would have been saying that he had no knowledge that Roger Khan was a drug dealer and that he worked closely with him.

That affidavit was never signed.

Earlier testimony by Simels stated that he, in the company of former policeman Paul Rodrigues, had driven to Pemberton’s home and that he had refused to come out to speak with them.

The jury also listened to the two men speaking of a list of persons, several of whom were in US custody at the time. One such person was former army officer, David Clarke.

During the conversation, Vaughn said that those persons would be well protected as Simels stated that Alicia Jagnarine was out on bail.

Vaughn rejoins the conversation, saying that they all can be located.

This was also when Vaughn says, “and what about Ramsammy,” referring to Guyana ’s Health Minister whose name was also on the list.

“Ramsammy would be hiding too, (laughter) he hiding for sure.”

Yesterday, several of the friends and relatives of the two defendants, were overheard speaking of the time the jury was taking and the materials they have been requesting since they began deliberating on Tuesday last.

One relative said that four days was too much.

And embattled lawyer turned defendant, Robert Simels said that one cannot second guess the jury.

He was responding to a question from a visitor in the public gallery about the time the jury hade been deliberating. Most of them said they hoped that the verdict would be in by Thursday of this week.

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Jurors peruse Vaughn/Simels taped conversation …as fourth day passes without verdict

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