Legal Dialogs

 
(Second interview with Deepak Kalpoe)
 
We, Johny Melvis Erasmus and Clyde Anthony Burke, respectively Officer first class and Sergeant first class with the Korps Politie Aruba and assigned to the Section Often Occurring Crime District 2, declare the following.
 
Interrogators: On June 10th 2005, approximately 13:45 hours we interviewed suspect Deepak Kalpoe for further information.
 
The suspect Deepak Kalpoe was informed by me (Burke) that he was not obliged to make a statement and that his statement would be taped. His statement that was in Dutch was transcribed by me (Burke) and goes as follows.
 
Interrogators: How long have you known Joran?
 
Deepak: Since before Carnival of this year. I think since January 2005.
 
Interrogators: Describe your friendship with Joran.
 
Deepak: We go out together, get to know each other. We have become good friends.
 
Interrogators: What kind of person is Joran?
 
Deepak: He's funny, sociable, likes to get to know people and he is easy to get along with.
 
Interrogators: Do you visit Joran?
 
Deepak: I often go and visit him.
 
Interrogators: How often?
 
Deepak: Usually on the weekends.
 
Interrogators: Do you sometimes visit Joran during the week?
 
Deepak: Sometimes, during the week.
 
Interrogators: Do you go out together?
 
Deepak: Yes.
 
Interrogators: Where do you usually go?
 
Deepak: Usually to the casino and to "Carlos 'n Charlies."
 
Interrogators: What is the purpose of going out?
 
Deepak: Going out to the casino is for making money and going to "Carlos 'n Charlies" is to go and have a drink and for the good atmosphere.
 
Interrogators: Does your brother come along?
 
Deepak: He always comes along.
 
Interrogators: How is the relation between your brother and Joran?
 
Deepak: Satish has known Joran longer than me. Their friendship is good.
 
Interrogators: Do you often have contact with Joran over the phone?
 
Deepak: Yes, often.
 
Interrogators: How often do you have contact with him over the phone?
 
Deepak: The last two weeks it was daily. Before that it was usually messages.

Interrogators: How often over the past two weeks?

Deepak: About three to four times a day.

Interrogators: What did you speak about over the telephone?

Deepak: We talked about that what had happened and whether his father had information for us about about the matter.

Interrogators: Why did you talk so much about what had occurred?

Deepak: After we were heard as witnesses, we felt involved in what had occurred and also because Joran's father was a judge and he knows a lot of laws and because he thought we could yet be considered to be suspects and arrested.

Interrogators: How did Joran's dad come to the conclusion that you just mentioned?

Deepak: We had told him about the interview, so about the manner we were interviewed.

Interrogators: If you know that you are innocent, then wouldn't you have nothing to worry about?

Deepak: I am innocent and still I was arrested.

Interrogators: What else did Joran's father tell you?
 
Deepak: I cannot remember that at this moment in time.
 
Interrogators: When was the last time you were at Joran's place?
 
Deepak: I went there Wednesday June 8th at approximately 22.45 hours together with my brother Satish.
 
Interrogators: What was the purpose of that visit?
 
Deepak: First of all, because we had no electricity at our house and secondly, because Joran wanted to see the video of my brother's school trip.
 
Interrogators: Who all was at the house?
 
Deepak: His parents were and his little brother.

Interrogators: How late did you stay there?

Deepak: Until about two o'clock in the morning.

Interrogators: Did you talk to Joran's father that night?

Deepak: We had spoken to him, because he sat down with us.

Interrogators: What did you talk to him about?

Deepak: He had said that there were people from the press outside the door.

Interrogators: What more did he say?

Deepak: I do not remember.

Interrogator: (reporting officer, Burke) How it is possible that yesterday you could make statements about stuff that took place a week ago and now you are unable to remember a conversation from the day before yesterday?

Deepak: I cannot remember anything more. We only talked about the people from the media and about the video they were watching.

Interrogators: How long have you had your car?

Deepak: I bought the car about two years ago.

Interrogators: Was this a new or a used car?

Deepak: It was a used car.

Interrogators: How often do you wash your car?

Deepak: Usually the car wash does my car and I do it every two weeks.

Interrogators: Did you wash your car in the past two weeks?

Deepak: Not in the past two weeks.

Interrogators: Where do you park your car at home?

Deepak: At home I park my car with the backside of the car under a tree.

Interrogators: How is it possible that your car looks so clean?

Deepak: My car is not clean, because if you look at the outside you can see there is mud on the bottom of the car.

Interrogators: Do you remember the day when you were summoned to the police station at Bubali?

Deepak: Yes, I remember that day.

Interrogators: Are you telling to me that your car looked very clean on that day?

Deepak: I had vacuumed my car the previous day.

Interrogators: Why had you vacuumed your car the previous day?

Deepak: I thought my car was dirty on the inside there was a lot of sand.

Interrogators: How dirty was your car on the inside?

Deepak: There was a lot of sand inside of the car.

Interrogators: When had you been to the beach the last time?

Deepak: I had been to a party on the beach about two or three weeks ago.

Interrogators: Where had the sand came from on the day in question that you vacuumed the car?

Deepak: The sand came from Joran, because he had almost fallen into the water and after that he had sat down in my car with sand on his shorts and on his legs.

Interrogators: Why did you vacuum the car on that Sunday in question?

Deepak: I thought it was dirty.

Interrogators: Why, after having driven in the car all that time, did you chose that particular Sunday to vacuum your car?

Deepak: It is my car, and I can vacuum it when I want. I clean my car when I want to clean it.

Interrogators: Has your brother been in contact with Joran over the telephone?

Deepak: He has been in contact, but I don't know how often.

Interrogators: Do you keep in contact through the computer?

Deepak: Yes.

Interrogators: Does Joran have a girlfriend?

Deepak: Joran had a girlfriend. Joran told me last week that she broke off the relationship.

Interrogators: Did Joran tell you why she had broken off the relationship?

Deepak: Joran has told me that his girlfriend broke off the relationship because of that what had happened with the missing girl.

Interrogators: How has Joran emotionally acted?

Deepak: He acted normally.

Interrogators: Has Joran had girlfriends or has had girlfriends?

Deepak: I do not know.

Interrogators: Do you pick up girls when you and Joran go for example to "Carlos & Charlies?"

Deepak: Yes, we, from time to time pick up girls there.

Interrogators: Are these local girls or tourists?

Deepak: Tourists.

Interrogators: Who is the one who makes the first move towards the girls you are going to pick up?

Deepak: It usually is Joran or another friend with the name Freddy Zedan.

Interrogators: What role does Joran plays in your circle of friends?

Deepak: He has no real role. We are all the same.

Interrogators: Where do you take the girls you pick up?

Deepak: Sometimes the girls stay at "Carlos 'n Charlies" or sometimes we take them to their hotel.

Interrogators: What exactly happens when you have picked up the girls?

Deepak: Just kissing and dancing.

Interrogators: Does sexual intercourse happen?

Deepak: Yes, it has happened.

Interrogators: Has it ever happened that all of you, in one room, had sexual intercourse?

Deepak: It has happened.

Interrogators: Has it ever happened that the three of you had sexual intercourse with a girl?

Deepak: That has never happened.

Interrogators: Yesterday you made a statement about a Steve. Who is Steve?

Deepak: Steve is a customer who comes to my place of work to internet.

Interrogators: What exactly has Steve had told you?

Deepak: I was talking to someone on the phone about what had happened and when I hung up the phone Steve said to me that I should not worry because he had seen us dropping off the girl at the hotel, he even saw that she had fallen down and that Joran had helped her up.

Interrogators: Where was Steve to have been able to see to see all of this?

Deepak: I didn't ask him where he was in order to have seen all of this. He also told me that he had not been into work that day. He instead had been at "Carlos 'n Charlies" and because of that he was in two minds about going to the police because he feared loosing his job.

Interrogators: How did you get hold of his mobile phone number?

Deepak: I had asked him for his number and had told him that I would give it to the police if I would get into trouble so that they could call him.

Interrogators: How is it possible that you state that Steve was not sure whether he should go to the police or not because he was afraid to loose his job, but that on the night in question, he did go to a public place like "Carlos & Charlies" and on top of that he gave you his phone number so that he now can be sent for to testify?

Deepak: You should ask him.

Interrogators: Does Steve know Joran?

Deepak: Steve does not know Joran.

Interrogators: Does Steve know your brother?

Deepak: no response
 
Interrogators: Have you spoken to your brother about Steve?

Deepak: I have spoken to everybody about Steve, with my mother, Satish, Joran and Joran's parents.

Interrogators: Did you give all of them Steve's mobile phone number?

Deepak: No, I kept the number to myself.

Interrogators: Why did you reasonably quickly have an attorney?

Deepak: After we were described as witnesses, Joran's father said that there would be chance that we were going to be arrested and that we had to prepare for that eventuality.

Interrogators: How did you prepare yourselves?

Deepak: With preparing, I just meant looking for an attorney.

Interrogators: Had you spoken to your attorney prior to your arrest?

Deepak: Both families had a meeting with the attorneys. So my parents with me and my brother and Joran with his parents.

Interrogators: When did that take place?

Deepak: Last Saturday.

Interrogators: Where did it take place?

Deepak: In the offices of my attorney.

Interrogators: Were both families in one office or were you in several offices?

Deepak: We all went to the same office at the same time. Our attorney asked us if the statement we had made as witnesses was the truth and said that we should stick to that story.

Interrogators: Have you ever had an accident with your car?

Deepak: I had an accident once. I was a rear end collision. I had suffered no injury. The accident happened approximately one month ago.

Interrogators: (Comment reporting officer: the suspect was given a moment to think after I (Burke) had had a conversation with the suspect "off the record" regarding his age and that he should think of his family and also about his future. After a few minutes the interview was continued. The suspect was asked if he had thought about it, to this he answered that he had been thinking and that he wanted to talk to his attorney first and after that make a more detailed statement. The suspect was prepared to continue with this interview/interrogation. The suspect was also asked to take of his shirt to ascertain that there were no wounds visible on him. None could be seen.)

Interrogators: Do you and your brother wash your car together?

Deepak: We did this on a number of occasions.

Interrogators: When was the last time this happened?

Deepak: It was a long time ago, I think in February. Because it got busier and busier for me, he did it numerous times on his own.

Interrogators: What do you think of this situation or case?

Deepak: I feel tired and sad.

Interrogators: Why do you feel sad and tired?

Deepak: I feel that because of me my whole family is suffering.

Interrogators: What do you mean with suffering?

Deepak: Because I wasn't supposed to go out if I had to go to work on a Monday. If I hadn't gone out, I would not be here. Joran would also not be here because he wouldn't have had a ride.

Interrogators: Do you know why you have been arrested?

Deepak: I am here because you think that we did it.

Interrogators: What do you mean with "because you think we did it?"

Deepak: With this I mean, that she is missing or was kidnapped.

Interrogators: What do you personally think?
 
Deepak: I personally do not think she is dead. I think she must be at someones house.
 
Interrogators: How do you come to that opinion?
 
Deepak: They haven't found her body, so she isn't dead.
 
Interrogators: Do you think that if there is no body there is also no case?
 
Deepak: No response shown.
 
Interrogators: How is it possible, that after having been confronted with a security guard that was most likely the one who was at the "Holiday Inn Hotel" in the night it happened, the one about whom you had stated that you could recognize him if you saw him again?
 
Deepak: The man from today was not the security guard I had seen. The hair of the security guard I saw was different and he had a different body height.
 
Interrogators: How is it possible that there are contradictions in the statements given by you, Satish and Joran, regarding where exactly you stopped in front of the lobby of the hotel?
 
Deepak: I don't know. I have stated the place where I know I brought the car to a full stop.
 
Interrogators:(Comment reporting officer: the suspect was informed to take a minute to really think, he requested 2 minutes to have a conversation with his attorney, after which he would make a detailed statement. His request was granted.)
 
Interrogators:(comment reporting officer: after the suspect spoke with his attorney, he stated that he would make a detailed statement tomorrow and that he would read through this statement but that he would not sign it.)
 
Of this we, Erasmus and Burke, on our oath as officers have made this police interview closed and signed in Oranjestad on June 10th 2005.
 
The reporting officers,
 
J.M.Erasmus, C.A.Burke