Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud’s decade old friendship with businessman Imran Khan is premised on an exchange of information and sharing of intelligence, the Commission of Inquiry into the alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger heard on Thursday.
Imram Khan, who is the brother of the man fingered in the alleged plot, Nazim Khan, told the COI that he had been friends with Persaud for 12 years but he never once asked him for a favour in any police matter involving himself or a family member.
He said their friendship was characterized by periodic phone calls, brief meetings and an exchange of information that could help the police arrest illegalities. “Our friendship was not for favours,” he added.
Khan said he never visited the home of the Police Commissioner and neither did Persaud pay him any visits at his Grove, East Bank Demerara home.
Although he admitted to placing two calls to Persaud’s mobile phone on March 29, when his brother was arrested over the allegation, he denied that those calls were intended to seek assistance from the Commissioner or ask for favours for his brother.
He said it was mainly to inform Persaud of the actions of the police when they visited Nazim’s home to arrest him and carry out a search and later when he himself was arrested for disorderly behaviour.
Turning his attention to his brother, Imran Khan told the Commission that they have a very common relationship and would communicate from time to time.
He told the Commission that he never visited his brother’s home, but later under cross examination, he admitted that he would frequent the location but never went into the house.
Khan could recall his younger brother visiting his place of business on a few occasions.
He admitted that he would usually send police vehicles to his brother’s workshop for minor repairs without accepting payment from the police.
He said Commissioner Persaud never asked him personally to fix vehicles neither did he ever indicate to him that he usually does.
Khan explained that the requests would usually come from junior ranks.
The Commission’s Counsel questioned Khan on the types of firearms he owned and he admitted to being the licensed holder of three firearms, including a .223 rifle.
Asked to describe the weapon he said it was “semi-automatic about 20 to 21 inches and black in colour.”
Andriff Gillard, who first reported the matter to the police said Nazim Khan offered him $6 million to kill President David Granger and showed him a “long black gun” which he allegedly intended to be the weapon to carry out the act.
But Imran Khan claimed that Nizam Khan had never seen his firearm and neither was it ever in his possession.
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