A private investigator and former FBI agent alleged he had seen open drug abuse, prostitution, distribution of marijuana and “numerous acts of lewd and lascivious behaviour” at John Issa’s Hedonism hotel.

“Five independent, unwitting sources were developed by the investigator,” said Attorney Reginald Clyne of Clyne and Associates, representing the defendants in a lawsuit filed in the Circuit Court of the 11th Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County, Florida, where Issa, the SuperClubs chairman, is claiming that he was defamed by e-mails traced to computers originating in that US state.

“These sources reported their observations of these activities to the investigator, corroborating, in detail, acts of prostitution, drug use and distribution and lewd behaviour,” said Clyne.

The attorney presented the private eye’s report as Issa gave a follow-up deposition in the ongoing lawsuit that began in January this year. He named the investigator as Larry Holifield who spent three

days watching activities at Hedonism, part of the SuperClubs hotel chain.

“The resort was staffed with uniformed security guards who were able to witness the wide open drug abuse and prostitution. The guards, however, took no action to prevent these illegal activities?” Clyne quoted the former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent as reporting.

“You wanted proof, you wanted a person, I will give it to you,” said Clyne, responding to Issa’s insistence throughout the deposition that he provided evidence to support his allegations.

Clyne: “I even have the names of some of the prostitutes that were there. He has them.”

Issa: “Where is that?”

Joe DeMaria (Issa’s attorney): The prostitutes identified themselves. That’s good.”

Issa: ” Where is that?”

Clyne: “It’s in the report.”

Issa: “Should we ban them from the place, would they be willing to come and give evidence?”

Clyne: “Absolutely. We even have pictures.”

Reading later from the private investigator’s report, Clyne told the court: “Paragraph 4 – Upon leaving the spa, Investigator Holifield noted that two Jamaican females were still sitting on the railing just outside of the gym. The female in the green blouse informed the investigator that they were there ‘looking for a man willing to pay for sex’. Both ladies offered to spend one hour with the investigator, during which they would provide a massage, oral and normal sex, with either one or both of them. They set the price for the services at US$200 each per hour.”

DeMaria: “Where are the photos? Are the photos.”

Clyne: “People he met.”

DeMaria: “Not of the so-called prostitutes?”

Clyne: “Paragraph A -Subject one explained that he and subject two had visited the nude side (of the hotel) where they witnessed a woman performing oral sex on a man at the waterside.”

DeMaria: “Who’s subject one and two?”

Clyne: “Two men that he met.”

DeMaria: “Two unidentified men?”

Clyne: “Yes.”

Issa: This is anonymous evidence.

DeMaria: “Hearsay. It’s hearsay.”

Issa: “You don’t even have the names of the prostitutes to help us.”

Clyne: “Paragraph 11 -Subject three related that the most interesting thing he observed on July 3rd was a woman giving oral sex to a man right in front of everyone near the pool. He also related that he had seen another woman giving oral sex to another man under the waterfall.”

DeMaria: “To a different man or the same man?”

Clyne: Different man, I guess. If the same guy got it twice, good for him.”

DeMaria: “We will find out from Mr Holifield, won’t we?”

Clyne: “Paragraph 18, in the middle of the sentence – “In plain view and in front of the workers at the restaurant, one of the Jamaicans removed a white cloth which contained a green vegetable-like substance believed to be marijuana. The subject then rolled the substance with white paper into a large cigarette-style object. He then lit the cigarette and passed to his companion. The odour from the substance was obviously similar to marijuana based upon the investigator’s experience of over 30 years investigating drug cases. These subjects were obviously smoking marijuana.

Issa: “He didn’t do anything about it. This is a felony.”

Clyne: “He said it happened openly in front of your workers. The question is why weren’t your guys doing anything?”

To be continued.