NAMES IN THE NEWS : Motives Hit in Khashoggi Trial

Adnan Khashoggi’s lawyer told a jury today that the fraud case against the Saudi financier and Imelda Marcos was brought to further the political ambitions of an aggressive prosecutor who wanted to become mayor of New York City.

“This case was a prosecutor’s dream, particularly if he had any political ambitions,” said James Linn, Khashoggi’s lawyer, during closing arguments at the trial in Manhattan Federal Court. “We got a guy who wanted to be mayor and it didn’t work out.”

Linn, who speaks in a folksy tone and slight Southern accent, was referring in his closing argument to former Manhattan U.S. Atty. Rudolph Giuliani. Giuliani brought the case against the defendants, then later left office to run for mayor. He lost the campaign and is now in private practice.

Linn said the indictment was a prize because it named a former head of state, Ferdinand Marcos, the late ousted Philippine leader, his wife and Khashoggi, once one of the wealthiest men in the world. “What a press conference that would make to announce that indictment,” Linn said.

Imelda Marcos is charged with racketeering and fraud for helping her late husband steal more than $200 million from their country’s treasury to buy art and New York real estate.

Ferdinand Marcos died last September.

Khashoggi is charged with fraud and obstruction of justice for allegedly helping the Marcoses conceal their ownership of the property.

“What are we doing trying two foreign citizens under this kind of indictment,” Linn said. “It’s shameful to me, in a time when the streets are filled with drugs and violence and we waste our time on this.”