Chairman of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Sanjeev Datadin has said that in the case of Zaid Khan – who recently complained of unsatisfactory treatment by airport staff while passing through the scanner – there were standard protocols that had to be followed and obeyed. He denied that Khan was treated unfairly and outside of acceptable protocol.
Khan, a United States (US) citizen who was travelling with his elderly Guyanese parents last June 17, had told Kiskadee Watch that his experience was nothing short of scary and humiliating, as an employee manning the scanners asked him to remove both his pants and prosthetic leg – something that Khan said he tried to explain was not part of the normal procedure.
But Datadin told this publication yesterday that before going into the scanner, Khan did not indicate that he had a prosthetic leg.
“He did not show us any form of certificate or document. Usually, if you’re an amputee and you had something fixed, you would have something to show from the institution. We didn’t see any of that,” Datadin said.
But in response, Khan told Kiskadee Watch that he was never asked for the certificate. “Regardless of whether I had a certification or not, it’s obvious that I’m an amputee. The certification is if I refuse to show them my leg, I can then show them the certification, but I showed them my leg. Also, they’re not supposed to ask me to take it off and put it in a scanner and my pants,” he stated.
“They didn’t really know the proper procedure…I had to educate them and tell them what is the proper procedure,” Khan continued.
But according to Datadin, everyone is given the option of allowing officials to examine the prosthetic limb and Khan had initially indicated that he did not mind the examination, but removing the prosthetic would have required him to take off his trousers, which he said he did not want to do. He noted that airport staff accepted his decision and did not instruct him to remove the limb.
Datadin further explained that Khan was provided with two options, that of a quicker process, which involves scanning the prosthetic limb itself and therefore requires its removal, or a longer process involving additional tests, such as touch and chemical swabbing. Khan, according to him, initially considered the first option but ultimately decided against it and instead underwent the second option, which took more time.
The CJIA chairman said it is “preposterous” that Khan is using this experience to advocate on social media for no more investment in Guyana.
Meanwhile, recalling the ordeal, Khan said he asked to contact his lawyer and the US embassy only to be told that he had to remain in the private room and could not access his phone.
“I told him he had all right to check me, but that there was a proper methodology to go about it,” he said, adding, “He left to speak to someone but someone else came back and asked me to lift up my pants, which was better than taking them off, so I complied. Once I lifted up my pants, then they did the proper procedure and released me at that time.”
Khan believes that the airport staffer acted in the manner he did because of a lack of proper training and education. “I was very nervous. It’s a good thing we were there hours before my flight or we would have definitely missed it. I was shaking, scared and nervous and the only protection I had was through the US embassy and without my phone and unable to call, I was very scared.”
He said he intends to take the matter to the highest levels of the United States government and pursue legal action, noting that he has already reached out to several government agencies in the United States. He said he plans to contact his lawyer tomorrow to begin an investigation that would include obtaining all relevant footage.
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