SHOWN a video of drug use allegedly at his Hedonism Hotel, John Issa, the SuperClubs chairman, admitted “they probably are” but that he didn’t know.

Issa was giving a follow-up deposition in the Circuit Court of the 11th Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County, Florida, in pursuance of a lawsuit he filed in the US, claiming that he was defamed by e-mails traced to computers originating in that US state.

Attorney Reginald Clyne of Clyne and Associates, representing the defendants in the lawsuit, presented the video in his attempt to establish that there were drug use and prostitutes at the hotel. He then asked Issa:

“Do you know whether people are using drugs at your hotel?” To this Issa replied: “I don’t know, but they probably are.”

Clyne: “Do you know whether your staff is facilitating that?”

Issa: “I should hope not. We have caught security guards who are a contract service when we have put in our traps, and I know we have fired a water-sports man recently. was caught in our trap. I wouldn’t swear to that at all. We have a wonderful staff, but, you know, you put a group of two, three hundred people together, you’re bound to have a few bad eggs.”

Clyne: “And if your staff saw people, like in that Washington Post article, that they were smoking pot in the pool area, they should put a stop to that?”

Issa’s attorney, Joe DeMaria objected.

Issa: “If that article is correct. You haven’t established that.”

Clyne: “I can establish that you have drugs and prostitutes in your hotel. Do you want to see?”

Issa: “It’s up to.”

Clyne: “We have some video. Would you play it back?”

DeMaria: “Do you have copies of this?”

Clyne: “We will make it for you.”

Issa: “What is the source of the video?”

Clyne: “Different sources.”

Issa: “This is like an article with no name.”

DeMaria: “It is like a case with no name on it. It is just allegations. Let them do what they want.”

Clyne: “I want (you) to be able to see it.”

Issa: “I can’t see it.”

Clyne: “Is it travel log?”

DeMaria: “You want to ask him?”

Issa: “Who was the publisher?”

DeMaria: “He is going to ask you questions.”

Clyne: “Do you recognise this as your hotel?”

Issa: “Yes.”

Clyne: “Which hotel is that?”

Issa: “Hedonism III.”

DeMaria: “Are you saying we are going to see money exchanged for sex here? Are you really saying that? It would be one hell of a travel log.”

Clyne: “This is done by one of your guests.”

Issa: “I don’t know if it’s been set up.”

Clyne: “An anonymous guest who appeared in this.”

Issa: “I’m not interested in seeing it without knowing the author.”

DeMaria: “John. John. John.”

Clyne: “Here (is) Hedonism III. The real Hedonism III. Do you recognise that bar?”

Issa: “Yes.”

Clyne: “That’s your hotel bar?”

Issa: “Yes.”

Clyne: “Do you recognise the pool?”

Issa: “Yes.”

Clyne: “That’s your hotel pool?”

Issa: “Uh-huh.”

Clyne: “That is one of your workers?”

Issa: “Yeah.”

Clyne: “We have a couple having open sex. Do you see that?”

Issa: “Yes.”

Clyne: “During the day in the film from one of the hotel rooms. Do you recognise the room as one of yours?”

Issa: “No.”

Clyne: “Do you recognise that as your hotel?”

Issa: “Yes.”

Clyne: “You see that couple having sex right by the pool?”

Issa: “I can’t see that.”

Clyne: “Let me pause it for you. See them right there? She is going up and down, sitting on the man’s penis.”

Issa: “I can’t see. It’s very blurred.”

Clyne: “You see one of your staff walking by? She just walked by.”

Issa: “I saw a head go by.”

Clyne: “You recognise that lady? She works for you.”

Issa: “I don’t recognise it.”

Clyne: “She walked by as they were having sex and did nothing about it.”

Zein Nakash (Issa’s daughter): “I can’t see it.”

DeMaria: “I can’t see that, Reggie.”

Issa: “You see somebody walking by. I can’t see.”

Clyne: “We will have somebody testify about that, people having sex in the hot tub, all right?”

DeMaria: “You have a date? When did that happen?”

Clyne: “Just wanted to see if he could recognise it.”

DeMaria: “I’d like to know if you ran out there as part of one of your post lawsuits trying to get evidence to support your defamation. We will find out.”

Clyne: “I have pre and post.”

Turning to alleged drug use at the hotel, Clyne indicated in the video: “They are buying drugs right there on your deck. Do you see that, the Hedonism sign right there?” Issa replied: “I see somebody.”

DeMaria: “John, that’s all right. John, he wants us to assume that a drug dealer is going on TV to show that he is a drug dealer. We will wait for the drug dealer to show up and testify.”

Again pointing to the video, Clyne said: “There’s cocaine being sold on your property.”

Issa: “I can’t identify it.”

DeMaria: “I see a table.”

Clyne: “You see the lines of white powder on the table?”

DeMaria: “I see white powder on the table.”

Clyne: “You see the little dollar bill rolled up for the drugs?”

DeMaria: “I see the table. I see no authentication of when it is, who did it. I hope you weren’t involved in doing this, Reggie, because you ain’t the DEA (US Drug Enforcement Agency). You don’t have protection for doing drug deals.”

Clyne: “I didn’t do them.”

DeMaria: “I hope nobody under your control did it because you can’t create drug deals to try to defend your case.”

Clyne: “Sir, with all due respect, I got the name of the DEA agent and I will be happy to give it to him.”

DeMaria: “We are going to find out where all that came from and we will report it to the Jamaican authorities. We will find out who was involved.”

Issa: “If this is all in Jamaica, it’s a felony to witness a felony and not report it to the police.”

DeMaria: “It is here (US) too.”

Clyne: “You guys are all worried about the felonies being committed by undercover surveillance, but you don’t seem to be concerned about the fact that there’s drugs being sold openly in your hotel.”

To be continued