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FBI sent suspect to Disney World
Testimony: Shaaban was treated to trip so his home could be searched
By Kevin Corcoran
kevin.corcoran@indystar.com
January 20, 2006
When Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad Ali Shaaban's conspiracy trial ends, the cash-strapped defendant probably won't be going to Disney World.
He's already been there once, courtesy of the U.S. government.
During Thursday's testimony in Shaaban's federal trial, an FBI agent and one of Shaaban's former trucking company bosses testified about how federal agents helped send his family to Florida in October 2004 so the FBI could surreptitiously search his Greenfield home.
Shaaban could call himself today as the final witness in a trial that began Jan. 9 in U.S. District Court. He's accused of trying to sell names of U.S. covert operatives in Iraq to Saddam Hussein's government before the spring 2003 military invasion that toppled his regime.
During Shaaban's trip to Orlando with his wife and son, FBI agents entered Shaaban's home under a secret warrant for gathering foreign-intelligence information.
They took photographs, photocopied documents and copied his computer hard drive before departing. Shaaban was not told about the FBI search until after his arrest in March, when the FBI conducted a more public search of the home.
While in Florida, Shaaban thought he was on a vacation paid for by the trucking company that employed him at the time, according to testimony. Charles Mong, president of CLM Freight Lines, acknowledged he was asked by the FBI to tell Shaaban the vacation was a gift from him.
The 53-year-old Palestinian, who's representing himself, struggled Thursday to challenge the testimony of government witnesses before asking for a half-day break in his federal trial to prepare his own testimony.
U.S. District Judge John D. Tinder granted Shaaban's request but suggested he should spend his time preparing remarks for the jury of seven women and five men who will decide his case.
"I flipped on the TV last night and was surprised to see you giving an interview," Tinder said, referring to comments Shaaban gave to WISH (Channel 8) on Wednesday.
He said Shaaban's frequent claims of having too little time to review evidence and prepare for his trial each day were beginning to "ring hollow."
"I would suggest you focus on this rather than any media campaign," he said.
However, Shaaban ignored Tinder's advice, granting interviews Thursday at the federal courthouse to WTHR (Channel 13) and WXIN (Channel 59).
Federal prosecutors rested their case Wednesday without showing Shaaban ever had access to any of the U.S. secrets he claimed to have when meeting with a former high-level officer in Hussein's intelligence agency.
Call Star reporter Kevin Corcoran at (317) 444-2750.
Testimony: Shaaban was treated to trip so his home could be searched
By Kevin Corcoran
kevin.corcoran@indystar.com
January 20, 2006
When Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad Ali Shaaban's conspiracy trial ends, the cash-strapped defendant probably won't be going to Disney World.
He's already been there once, courtesy of the U.S. government.
During Thursday's testimony in Shaaban's federal trial, an FBI agent and one of Shaaban's former trucking company bosses testified about how federal agents helped send his family to Florida in October 2004 so the FBI could surreptitiously search his Greenfield home.
Shaaban could call himself today as the final witness in a trial that began Jan. 9 in U.S. District Court. He's accused of trying to sell names of U.S. covert operatives in Iraq to Saddam Hussein's government before the spring 2003 military invasion that toppled his regime.
During Shaaban's trip to Orlando with his wife and son, FBI agents entered Shaaban's home under a secret warrant for gathering foreign-intelligence information.
They took photographs, photocopied documents and copied his computer hard drive before departing. Shaaban was not told about the FBI search until after his arrest in March, when the FBI conducted a more public search of the home.
While in Florida, Shaaban thought he was on a vacation paid for by the trucking company that employed him at the time, according to testimony. Charles Mong, president of CLM Freight Lines, acknowledged he was asked by the FBI to tell Shaaban the vacation was a gift from him.
The 53-year-old Palestinian, who's representing himself, struggled Thursday to challenge the testimony of government witnesses before asking for a half-day break in his federal trial to prepare his own testimony.
U.S. District Judge John D. Tinder granted Shaaban's request but suggested he should spend his time preparing remarks for the jury of seven women and five men who will decide his case.
"I flipped on the TV last night and was surprised to see you giving an interview," Tinder said, referring to comments Shaaban gave to WISH (Channel 8) on Wednesday.
He said Shaaban's frequent claims of having too little time to review evidence and prepare for his trial each day were beginning to "ring hollow."
"I would suggest you focus on this rather than any media campaign," he said.
However, Shaaban ignored Tinder's advice, granting interviews Thursday at the federal courthouse to WTHR (Channel 13) and WXIN (Channel 59).
Federal prosecutors rested their case Wednesday without showing Shaaban ever had access to any of the U.S. secrets he claimed to have when meeting with a former high-level officer in Hussein's intelligence agency.
Call Star reporter Kevin Corcoran at (317) 444-2750.
