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CNN Live At Daybreak

Pearl Murder Suspect Denies Connection with Body

Aired May 20, 2002 - 06:17   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In Pakistan, the chief suspect in the killing of "Wall Street Journal" reporter Daniel Pearl is denying any connection with the body that was found in Karachi last week. Authorities believe the remains are those of Pearl.

CNN's Ash-har Quraishi joins us live by videophone from Karachi with the latest on the Pearl investigation.

What can you tell us?

ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol, a lot of conflicting information coming out here in Karachi. Officials, police officials and government officials are being very tight lipped about this investigation. They're taking no chances at this point. They say they're going to wait for these DNA tests.

Now, as you mentioned, the suspected mastermind Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh has denied any involvement with the people that were caught last week. Those three men have now been associated with a militant organization here in Karachi, the Lush Grade Chunvi (ph), that was a group that's been banned for sometime here in Pakistan. Their former leader was killed last week. This is a man that many in Pakistan have called the most wanted man in Pakistan, Rhiaz Bosera (ph).

Now this group is responsible for -- has taken responsibility for hundreds of killings of minority Shiite Muslims here in Karachi. And right now Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, the suspected mastermind, says that he had nothing to do with that group Lush Grade Chunvi.

Also, we're getting a little more detail as to where this location actually was. It was a nursery, as we understand it. I had a chance to visit the area and it's a very remote location in Karachi, so it's something that most people say that most people wouldn't take notice of. If Daniel Pearl in fact was taken to this area, they say that it would be a long time before anybody would find out about it -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ash-Har, Saeed Sheikh is denying any knowledge of the body, but didn't he confess to the crime?

QURAISHI: That's another problem with this case. Saeed actually did make some sort of an admission in front of a judge, although he wasn't under oath at that time and so that confession so far has been called inadmissible. The prosecutor will attempt a fate to use that confession as an extra (ph) judicial confession. He may actually call a former judge who was present when Saeed made that confession.

So there's still a lot of problems with this trial and what these three men actually say -- these three men who have been taken into custody last week. If they have conflicting reports with what prosecutors have right now as their strongest evidence against these four already in custody, then that may be something that will be a problem for the prosecution -- Carol.

COSTELLO: How long do you think this trial might go on? There seems to be so many strange happenings

QURAISHI: Absolutely. . There are a couple of things that we're going to be watching for in the next couple of days. One is the positive identification of this body. If in fact that happens, the prosecution may have to file new charges. That would delay this trial for sometime now.

Also these DNA tests, as you can understand, here in Pakistan the facilities for DNA testing are not that strong and depending on (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that takes, that would delay any new charges being filed in this case.

Also, the testimony of Mariane Pearl, that's something that also has to be decided, how that's going to be taken care of. So there are -- there's still a lot of obstacles in this case right now -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Ash-Har Quraishi reporting by videophone from Karachi, Pakistan this morning. Thank you very much.

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