Lawyers for drug-accused businessman Shaheed Roger Khan want a ledger with the names of several drug traffickers who allegedly worked for the Guyanese to be examined by two experts at their respective laboratories.
Khan's layers are currently perusing discoveries submitted in court by the US Government. The discoveries include cocaine seized and several other documents some of which were retrieved from his various business places and homes.
Among other people, the ledger has the name of Davendra Persaud, a businessman who was gunned down at the Palm Court restaurant back in 2005.
Meanwhile, Khan's lawyers' request was made in a letter directed to the US Government and signed by Khan's New York attorney Robert Simels.
In his letter Simels said that with the review of discovery materials, which commenced at Khan's last hearing, the defence intended to request that the 'ledger' be examined by two distinct set of experts. He said the defence would like to determine the government's position with respect to having the original documents provided directly to those experts for laboratory inspections.
The letter was submitted on May 7, but there has been no response as yet. Simels said each of the experts had advised that having the originals available at their laboratories, rather than attempting to take a mobile laboratory to New York would be highly advantageous to their findings. And he said the defence would enter into a stipulation with regard to those periods of time as to chain of custody.
Simels also requested to review the originals of all materials allegedly seized from Khan's office and residence. The lawyers told the US attorneys that if originals were not in their possession, then the defence must be told who has them and arrangements should be made so that they could inspect them.
Simels also said that not all of the scanned materials provided to date were capable of being "opened by the government" and as such there should be additional materials in the possession of those who provided them to the government. Simels contended that the documents are relevant and necessary and thus should be made available to the defence.
Khan is currently before a New York court charged on 18 counts of conspiracy to import cocaine into the US. He is expected to go on trial by the end of August this year.