USA: HERMANT LAKHANI, WHO FACES CHARGES OF ATTEMPTING TO SMUGGLE A MISSILE INTO THE US, REMAINS IN CUSTODY FOLLOWING A DELAYED BAIL HEARING

Record ID: 649094

  • Title: USA: HERMANT LAKHANI, WHO FACES CHARGES OF ATTEMPTING TO SMUGGLE A MISSILE INTO THE US, REMAINS IN CUSTODY FOLLOWING A DELAYED BAIL HEARING
  • Date: 4th September 2003
  • Summary: (W7) NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 4, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV OF NEWARK FEDERAL COURT (2 SHOTS) 0.07 2. COURT SKETCH OF HEARING WITH (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) JUDGE RONALD J. HEDGERS, US ATTORNEY CHRISTOPHER CHRISTIE, DEFENCE ATTORNEY ALAN ZEGAS AND LAKHANI 0.11 3. CU COURT SKETCHES (2 SHOTS) 0.20 4. MCU (English) US ATTORNEY CHRISTOPHER CHRISTIE SAYING: "They asked for more specific information. It is the judge's right to ask us to put a witness on to be able to speak directly and allow him to be questioned by defence council about the basis of the charges in his case. And so that's what will do next week, we'll put an FBI agent on the stand, he will testify as to the underlying facts that are contained in the complaint and perhaps others that we've gathered since that time and then they'll have an opportunity to ask some questions and then the judge will rule on whether he'll be detained or whether a bail package will be accepted and met." 0.58 5. MCU OF CAMERAMAN 1.03 6. MCU (English) CHRISTIE SAYING: "We have absolute confidence in this case. We're more than happy to put a witness on next Thursday and we're confident that that witness will testify directly in line with what was laid out in the preliminary complaint that all of you got when Mr. Lakhani was originally arrested." 1.18 7. CU COURT SKETCHES 1.33 8. MCU (English) CHRISTIE SAYING: "Oh, he's a threat, he's an incredible threat. Anyone who is willing to sell a shoulder-fire missile to what he believes to be a terrorist organisation who had stated to him that they're going to use that missile to shoot an American commercial airliner out of the sky and presumably kill those people on board, I don't know how do you define a threat, but I define that as a significant threat." 1.58 9. CU COURT SKETCHES OF HEARING 2.13 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 19th September 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA6DG0DX6IPCJ04B8DCDWHIBVY4
  • Story Text: Hemant Lakhani, who faces charges of attempting to
    smuggle a missile into the US, remains in custody following
    a delayed bail hearing.



    Hemant Lakhani - the man facing charges of
    attempting to smuggle a shoulder-fired missile into the
    United States remains in custody without bail.

    His Thursday (September 4) bail hearing at the Martin
    Luther King Jr. Federal Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey
    was postponed until next week so that prosecutors could
    present a witness to support their accusations. "They asked
    for more specific information. It is the judge's right to
    ask us to put a witness on to be able to speak directly and
    allow him to be questioned by defence council about the
    basis of the charges in his case. And so that's what will
    do next week, we'll put an FBI agent on the stand, he will
    testify as to the underlying facts that are contained in
    the complaint and perhaps others that we've gathered since
    that time and then they'll have an opportunity to ask some
    questions and then the judge will rule on whether he'll be
    detained or whether a bail package will be accepted and
    met", said US Attorney Christopher Christie outside the
    courthouse.

    Lakhani's lawyer - Alan Zegas - claimed the
    prosecution's accusations were too vague to merit a bail
    decision. Magistrate Ronald J. Hedges said he would allow
    the government a chance to put a witness on the stand. "We
    have absolute confidence in this case. We're more than
    happy to put a witness on next Thursday and we're confident
    that that witness will testify directly in line with what
    was laid out in the preliminary complaint that all of you
    got when Mr. Lakhani was originally arrested", said US
    Attorney Christie. He added that Lakhani is a real threat.

    Lakhani - a 68-year-old British citizen - was arrested
    with two others on August 12 and charged with trying to
    sell a shoulder-fired missile to an undercover government
    agent. Lakhani allegedly tried to sell 50 missiles to the
    agent who posed as a Muslim terrorist planning to shoot
    down a US airliner.

    Charges against Lakhani and the two other suspects carry
    up to 15 years in prison and a one-million-dollar fine.






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