Law & Order (1990) s03e10 Episode Script
Consultation
In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: The police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
You can thank your luckies your plane didn't land four hours earlier.
It would have taken us that long to get across the bridge.
'Course we could have splurged $2.
50 and taken the tunnel.
Killing ourselves, breathing that air.
Where'd you fly in from, honey? Lagos, Nigeria.
Africa, oh That's about what, What time is it here? Five minutes, it's tomorrow.
I can't keep my eyes open.
Jet lag, huh? It's a bitch.
Guy came in last night from Paris.
Said the best cure was a hot bath and a bottle of cognac.
I visited my sister down in Tampa.
Six-pack worked just fine.
Statue of Liberty? Honey, you said Harlem.
No, this.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Gets going like a blizzard every time I cross a pothole.
Just like that.
Thank you, Mr.
Dinkins.
Now hold on, child.
Don't go having your baby in my cab.
Call the code! Clear the hall! Come on, let's go! Here we come.
Let's go folks, here they come.
Watch it.
Code Blue, E.
R.
3.
Watch your foot.
Pupils fixed and dilated.
Bag her.
One amp Narcan.
Starting C.
P.
R.
Get E.
K.
G.
Leads on her.
I need a fetal heart monitor.
Get her intubated.
One amp atropine.
E.
K.
G.
Hooked up.
She's v-tach.
Fetal heart rate 90.
Get the paddles.
One amp Narcan.
Ready.
Clear.
She's v-fib.
Fetal heart rate 60.
One amp Narcan.
Get a blood gas.
Fetal in bradycardia.
Call O.
B.
, tell them to prep for a crash C-section.
No pressure, no pulse.
She's asystolic.
No response.
Flat.
Fetal heart rate zero.
One amp Narcan.
Still flat.
Fetal zero.
Okay, let's call it.
Patient and baby died at 00:33.
then hello, Scarsdale.
People don't O.
D.
In Scarsdale? Not on heroin, and not in the back of a cab.
Oh, you prefer sleeping pills and satin sheets.
Well, there's a difference.
Oh, sure, there is, Mike, like when rich people do it, it's a cry for help.
And people like us, it's a social disease.
For Ms.
Amoda, it's an occupational hazard.
She's a smuggler.
Found these in her belly.
filled with heroin.
One of them broke.
Adult respiratory distress syndrome.
No response.
Nigerian, Probably hoping her kid's dreams would be American.
She had a kid? Still-born.
Scarsdale's looking good.
All-weather radials.
Imelda Marcos never owned a pair of these.
Miss Kelani Amoda.
No, make that Mrs.
Born in Nigeria.
First time in the U.
S.
Lomotil.
Helps clog the drain.
Customs calls them, uh, Nigerian swallowers.
$1,100 and a free plane ride.
You're talking $100,000 won'th of heroin here.
Now, somebody's gotta be holding the claim ticket.
Redeemable for narcotics one and felony murder.
Hey, she's got a baby on the way.
The only person who's gonna talk her into this is Mr.
Amoda.
Cab must've been taking her somewhere.
I delivered three babies.
Got so I can tie the innies and the outies.
But I never had nobody die on me before.
The baby, too? Poor little girl.
She wasrt but about 20.
She leave behind anything besides a suitcase? Yeah, unfortunately, and I been cleaning it up all morning.
Did she say anything about having a family? Only about her baby.
Hoping it was a boy.
She got her wish.
One minute she's taking in the scenery.
The next, her head is lolling like she's making for a seizure.
I drove as fast as I could.
Where were you gonna take her before the emergency room? Let me see.
Uh, 126th and Broadway.
So, now what? Home cooking.
You know, this used to be Roscoe's Snack 'r Chat.
You know, right around the corner from here is the first place I saw Mose Allison.
Who? I keep forgetting when you were born.
Yes, please.
This way.
We just ate.
Anybody in here expecting a young girl, name of Kelani Amoda? She is Yoruba.
Yoruba? The largest tribe in Nigeria.
Everyone here is Yoruba.
The name Amoda, very common.
And she is from llesha.
I know of three Amodas from llesha.
You know of any in this zip code? Joseph Amoda.
Uh, we are very proud of him.
He's a very important businessman with a thriving trade on the corner of Thank you.
I have bakweli, bakota, bambara Hey, this bakota would be good for you, oda.
Huh? It is magical shield.
It will stop a bullet.
We're more interested in a member of your tribe.
Kelani Amoda.
She's very beautiful.
She flew in from Nigeria last night.
She had a baby.
Ah, a baby? She was blessed by Shango, goddess of fertility and thunder.
Yeah.
Well, do you know who the proud papa might be? No.
But if you find him, just tell him I'll be happy to shower the baby with gifts.
We could bring him in.
And he'll sell us a watch before he gives us the time of day.
You know, it seems like hubby should be a little bit more concerned.
I mean, he sends for her, she doesn't show Yeah.
I don't know.
Wait a minute.
He sent for her, right? So maybe he sent her a plane ticket.
It was booked in Lagos, through Transmission Travel Services.
What about credit card numbers? Cash.
How can you be so sure? Nigeria is an all-cash society.
So what does a pretty woman like you do without a credit card? Barter.
Excuse me, miss.
They always come in when I'm ready to close.
Hey, suppose Kelani isn't the only smuggler on the plane? You think Transmission Travel gives frequent swallower miles? All I know is, 20 years ago, two Cuba Libres and I'd have the passenger list.
Maybe you ought to order dinner for one.
Good morning.
Hey, Briscoe.
Two Cuba Libres? Strawberry Daiquiri.
So, Nigerian Airlines Flight 850, non-stop Lagos-New York.
Transmission Travel.
Any common denominators? No.
But Kelani's entry form, the employment question? Monday morning she would've been punching a clock at Nigerian Petroleum Distribution, Brooklyn.
Maybe hubby was planning to pack her a box lunch.
So, I'm the token American.
Makes me a sort of a liaison to the community.
Well, what is it, Mr.
Marietta? No one reads the help-wanted ads but Nigerians? Well, they like to hire from the same tribe.
Yoruba? I used to work the oil rigs near Lagos in the '70s.
I learned to respect the loyalty and work ethic of the Yoruba.
So, what? If you want to work in the wing-nut division you dial 1-800-YORUBA? For Nigerians, this is a plum job.
We only bring over highly-trained professionals.
Scientists, technicians, engineers.
And a pregnant Uh.
Kelani Amoda.
A nutritional technician.
A cook for our cafeteria.
Americans can't make tuna sandwiches? Americans can't make fufu and Jollof rice.
She'll be starting next week.
Oh? Uh, where's she gonna be staying until then? Uh, with her husband.
Babatunde Amoda.
You Babatunde Amoda? No.
All right, you mind opening the door, please? You Babatunde Amoda? Yes.
All right, we'd like to ask you a few questions.
My papers are in order.
I can show you.
It's not about your papers.
It's about your wife.
Kelani? Kelani is in llesha.
My village.
Your wife arrived here two nights ago from Nigeria.
Two nights? Is she all right? I think you ought to come with us.
All the village came to our wedding.
Everyone thought I am blessed because I could come to America.
I was saving money to send for her from delivering packages.
Did your wife ever speak about knowing anybody here? No.
She could not know anyone here.
She knew only people from our village.
So you didn't know that she arranged for a job? She must have written, but the mails are so slow.
She is dead because she so wanted our child to be born in America.
If this guy is a heroin smuggler, he better not quit his day job.
Yeah.
He didn't even spring for high-tops.
He's still kicking the village dust off his feet.
So, if hubby isn't it, who borrowed Kelani's stomach for 16 hours? Well, last year, my brother-in-law, the, uh, junk-bond genius, brought over a French au pair for his spoiled rug rats.
The au pair needed two sponsors on her I.
N.
S.
Form.
I can't believe this.
Labor certified her for native Nigerian dishes.
Employers get away with anything on their ETA-750A and Bs.
Just tell us about the sponsors.
Well, let's see.
Immigrant visa file.
Admitted N.
Y.
C.
, employment based 3rd.
Fasten your seat belts.
EB3? How did an EB3 get processed so fast? Might have P.
I.
P.
I.
? Political influence.
Let's see these sponsors.
Employer sponsor, Philip Marietta, Nigerian Petroleum Distribution.
Well, now here's some clout.
Letter of expedition to the Embassy in Lagos signed by a Nigerian tribal chief.
Olagig-Gim-Ju Nwaka.
Oh, Chief Nwaka? Gentlemen.
If we could go into my sitting room.
Ignorance is at the root of all tragedy.
Do you mind terribly, gentlemen? It's one of the few conceits I've retained from my student days at Oxford.
Kelani.
Kelani was just a girl.
She wanted more than anything to be reunited with her husband, in time for the child's isomoloruko.
The child's naming ceremony.
And you paid her way? Wouldrt you, for your daughter? Daughter? Every Yoruba is brother and sister.
As chief, I am, in a manner of speaking, their father.
Boy, I'd hate to see your Christmas list.
In Western culture, goodwill is assigned a value on a balance sheet.
With us, generosity is a given part of our nature.
Well, didn't it concern you that she didn't stop by to thank you in person? My generosities are symbolic.
I have a staff that concerns itself with particulars.
Yeah.
Well, in the future, you might think about getting, uh, just a little bit more involved.
Every summer, the wife sends my daughter up from Miami.
She stays a week, we catch a couple of ballgames.
Now, she's 17 years old, I'm at La Guardia two hours early.
So, you think the chief's generosity ends at the airport? Yeah.
Thanks.
The chief's got a resume.
What? V.
P.
, Import-Export? Two arrests, '87 and '89.
Grand larceny two.
Complainant, Bank of Nigeria, North America.
Oh.
Well, you're gonna run drugs, you need capital to invest with.
Charges were dropped both times.
Two C felonies? Jeez, he should still be on vacation.
In May, 1986, Mr.
Nwaka borrowed $250,000 for the purchase of some diamonds in Nigeria.
Just like that? No.
He used the diamonds as collateral.
Unfortunately, in January, 1987, the bank discovered that Mr.
Nwaka had sold said diamonds, and failed to repay his loan.
Bank robbery in a suit and tie, huh? So, uh, how come no conviction? Uh, Lagos, the home office, deemed the loan uncollectible and converted it to a charge-off.
Lagos apparently found it more prudent to withdraw from the case.
Things have changed in Nigeria, gentlemen.
In today's banking climate, I can assure you, Lagos would respond quite differently.
Yeah.
Once bitten.
So, why'd you lend him money the second time? Believe me, if we had known In '89, Nwaka used a straw man.
Some guy named Marietta.
Hey, the bank's not the only one who fell for Nwaka's smooth talk.
They cleared my record, but it was me who cleared my reputation.
So, does Chief Nwaka still whisper sweet nothings in your ear? Hey, hey, hey, listen.
A woman flies in with a bellyful of no-nos.
Nwaka pays her way.
You give her a job.
I make six figures plus bonus.
I like my co-op.
I like my club.
I'm not a risk-taker.
Yeah, well, maybe somebody else around here is a little bit more ambitious.
These people are happy to be in America.
You guys are barking up the wrong tree, here.
So, you'll gladly give us a list of the happy campers.
Gentlemen, the coffee's on the house.
You want cream and sugar, get a warrant.
Just takes a phone call.
And something called probable cause.
One lump or two? You wanna try for a warrant? I'd rather have a quicker fix.
Well, you want a list of immigrant employees, you can ask the employer.
Or you can ask Immigration.
Nigerian Petroleum's been playing fast and loose with its E.
T.
A.
-750s.
Look at this.
just this month? All of them E.
B.
3s.
Scientists, engineers, technicians.
Like plenty of qualified Americans can't rotate a gasket? How's this one? Fabian Ayinde, certified as a native sanitary engineer.
A janitor? Educational background to be provided later.
Swinging a mop.
Another lost art in America.
I will help you.
Please do not flog me.
Flog you? What's he talkir about? Do not hit me with a cane.
Oh, okay.
We won't flog you.
This time.
Now, what do we get for it? They said it was the only way.
Swallow the drugs, I could come to America.
They told me it was safe.
She was so young.
Oh? You knew Kelani? Every several months, they send me back.
They told me I would have to stay in Lagos for good if I didn't find other villagers.
My last trip, I met Kelani.
She would do anything for her child to be born an American.
So you filled her with drugs and loaded her on a plane? No.
That would be too dangerous.
I traveled the day before.
I waited for her to arrive at a hotel.
Let me guess.
Who told you to do this, Fabian? Mr.
Marietta.
You must've What is this? You guys can't walk in here like this.
We came for the cream and sugar.
Come on, get up.
Philip Marietta, you're under arrest for conspiracy to criminally possess and sell controlled substances.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you do say will be used against you in a court of law Conspiracy to smuggle drugs.
Murder two.
That's hardly white-collar stuff, Jacob.
Arert you a little out of your neighborhood? It doesn't matter who's at the line, Ben.
A gutterball still gets a goose egg.
I've represented Nigerian Petroleum for the last 10 years.
Phil Marietta's good people.
After Kelani's funeral, I'll submit him for a good citizers medal.
I'm glad to see you can smile while your case swirls around the bowl.
Fabian Ayinde gave us a full statement.
Your client's up to his earlobes.
A janitor? This Fabian Ayinde has probably changed his shorts six times since you picked him up.
He's scared, Ben.
He'll say whatever you want him to.
In view of what he said, maybe Mr.
Marietta should visit his laundry.
Walk down any street in Lagos, and someone will sell you something.
These people are born gonifs, it's in their blood.
Jacob, do you expect me to believe that Ayinde engineered this alone? You want Mr.
Big, he gladly gives you the only white man he knows.
The only problem is, Mr.
Marietta had nothing to do with it.
We'll see if the grand jury agrees.
Just trying to save you some time, and face, Ben.
Thanks, Jacob.
I appreciate that.
Jacob Bloom.
I saw him get an insider trading case dismissed when the prosecution had six volumes of documentary evidence.
This is murder, Adam.
You think the jury actually gives a damn? All they'll see are poor African people with funny names and they won't know what the case is about.
They'll go with the attorney that they like better.
We have an eyewitness.
You have an accomplice.
That gets you into the theater, but it won't let you see the show.
You want me to release Marietta? Until you get some corroboration, yes.
When she arrived, Kelani had heroin won'th over $100,000 in her stomach.
Now, who's gonna trust a janitor with that kind of money? There was someone at the hotel with Fabian.
And Fabian conveniently forgot to tell us who.
I already told the officers.
Did you tell them everything, Fabian? Yes, everything.
Mr.
Marietta, he sent me to the hotel to meet Kelani and collect the drugs.
Did he send you alone? Yes.
Alone.
If lying was an Olympic sport, Jesse Owens would be long forgotten.
He's scared, Don.
will do that.
My guess is that prison is the least of his fears.
That is the truth.
I've told you all I know.
That hotel The Chestnut Arms.
Do you remember what room you were in? Can you spare Briscoe and Logan? Well, we're talking I don't think Fabiars partner used the Platinum Card.
Actually, I was hoping that maid service hadrt reached the third floor yet.
You got it.
Not one of Mr.
Clears scheduled stops.
What's with all the powder? You guys are throwing around more dust than Mount St.
Helens.
Hey, my apologies to Leona.
But a transient flophouse like this? I got 45 lifts off the bureau alone.
Most of 'em ancient history? Hey, try the T.
V.
People like to watch T.
V.
This must be the honeymoon suite.
Somebody's living a charmed life.
You've got something? Michael Kano.
Prints all over the No-Tell.
Michael spent the better part of the last three years getting his high school diploma by mail.
Home address, Attica.
Assault with a deadly.
Got paroled about eight months ago.
I saw that hotel.
I'm sure Mr.
Kano's not the first ex-felon to check into Room 392.
Yeah, but how many ex-felons born in Lagos you suppose spent the night in there? Here's the parole officer, Ms.
Bononi.
Nine out of 10 make my job a snap.
Six weeks after release, they're back in the hole.
I guess mama's cooking doesn't match Mr.
Cuomo's.
And Michael Kano? Exceptions make the rule.
Gainfully employed last six months.
$400 a week.
I should be so lucky.
Where's he working? Drives a limo for some hoity-toity businessman from Nigeria.
Birds of a feather.
Ola-Gim Nwaka? You know him? If he needs more people, tell him.
I got hundreds.
Sure.
Maybe I was in that hotel.
I spend the nights in lots of hotels.
I got lots of lady friends, okay? Was one of them named Kelani Amoda? Never heard of her.
What about Fabian Ayinde? Oh, right.
Africans.
We all know each other.
You're better off without the wiseass, Mr.
Kano.
Look, I've been rehabilitated.
I do legitimate work.
And we're all very proud of you, Michael.
And Mr.
Stone, I have a How about skipping the dance and cutting right to the song? Well, how about, uh, conspiracy to import and sell narcotics, topped off with felony murder? How about one piece of evidence? Your client was employed by Chief Nwaka who sponsored the immigration of a known drug smuggler.
Your client's prints were found at what would have been the drop had the smuggler not died en route.
File it under small world, Counselor.
There's not a coincidence, Ms.
Turner.
Now, if your client confirms Look, they spin the wheel, my name comes up, I get the honor of representing Mr.
Kano.
Do I like him? Too soon to tell.
Do I think he's telling the truth? Not my business to delve.
And will I cut a deal when all the state has is a couple of pink elephants? Not on your life.
We'll talk.
Nwaka, Marietta, Kano.
I put them together in a courtroom, a jury can't help but connect the dots.
It's the Supreme Court of the State of New York, not Romper Room.
You're gonna need a lot more than a No.
2 pencil to establish conspiracy.
The evidence against Kano is circumstantial.
Against Marietta, unreliable.
Against Nwaka, speculative.
The conspiracy is a house of cards.
The slightest breeze, and it all comes tumbling down.
Only no little piggy has started huffing and puffing.
Pity the poor janitor.
He had the least to gain, and he's the only one that loses.
No.
One person had nothing to gain yet lost everything.
Babatunde.
Right.
Babatunde.
Now he's got nothing left to lose.
So maybe he's got no one left to protect.
Chief Nwaka is an honorable man, or he could not be a Yoruba chief.
We have reason to believe your chief is using his people.
The way he used your wife, to smuggle heroin.
No.
Chief Nwaka's family is great and powerful.
They built schools in our villages.
He would never do this.
You know Michael Kano? No.
He works for Nwaka.
Your wife would have given him the heroin when she got here.
Kelani only came to America because she thought that was what I wanted for our child.
She is dead.
My son is dead.
If I knew anything, I would tell you.
Now go.
I will not join you in insults to my chief.
Listen to Babatunde for half an hour, you'd think Nwaka's a martyr for the tribe.
Did he convince you? $1,500 Italian suits.
Not exactly a robe and sandals.
Well, maybe if he dresses like the Dapper Don, he instills the same sort of fear.
Or gratitude.
Nwaka did sponsor Kelani's immigration.
Which certainly means he aided a narcotics smuggler.
Criminal facilitation? Maybe the chief would rather deal than get his suit dirty.
Hmm.
Yeah, tell me about it.
Last year, I went out with a girl who lived in one of these.
Four floors, 20 rooms.
Yeah.
Bedroom, bathroom.
The rest of it's a waste.
Yeah, well, she wanted to experience life on every floor, in every room.
So, what? You got as far as the downstairs foyer and called it a day? Hey, we discovered an attic they didn't know they had, pal.
Party time.
Hi, there.
Hello.
Ola-Gim-Ju Nwaka? What? You ought to get 25 years just for making me pronounce it.
You're under arrest for criminal facilitation in the second degree.
You have the right to remain You are making a terrible mistake.
You have no idea what you're doing.
Sounds like my second wife.
Criminal Facilitation two? I'd actually be upset, Ben, but you did provide the perfect escape from one of the most deathly dinner parties.
Get your things, Chief.
I don't think you understand, Marion.
Your client is under arrest.
You didn't tell them? I thought it best to wait until you advised me.
Mr.
Nwaka is not only a Yoruba chief, he is Trade Consul for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Bone up on your international law, boys.
My client's immune.
No one's immune from drug smuggling charges.
He sponsored a Nigerian citizers move to the United States, period.
Not only is that not a crime, it's his consular duty.
Chief.
Send your written apologies to the Consulate, Ben.
We bag him, you kick him.
Next time, save us the trouble.
Nwaka's a Nigerian Trade Consul.
Once he asserted his diplomatic immunity, we had no choice.
Trade Consul.
Those kind of jobs usually come in a barrel labeled "pork.
" Legitimate or not, the Consulate is backing him up.
Maybe you ought to send 'em an 8 by 10 of Kelani and her baby.
Maybe they'll reconsider.
Hopefully they'll be impressed by an order from the World Court.
The United Nations? Come on, all those clowns know how to do is double-park.
Okay.
Say you pull the umbrella on Nwaka.
What's to keep him from hopping the next flight back home? Nothing, except our extradition treaty with Nigeria.
Right.
So, in other words, a little grease, and the chief gets to sleep in his own bed for the rest of his life.
You want him back for another chat, give us a call.
What I want is Nwaka out of his Armanis and into prison blues.
I checked the World Court's calendar.
This week, they're meeting in The Hague.
I doubt if the States would pick up the airfare.
How about carfare? They're reconvening here at the United Nations, end of the month.
Oh, if we keep the balls in the air till then Stone.
Yeah.
Adam wants us.
So, Det.
Logan and Briscoe subsequently are Assistant District Attorneys Stone and Robinette.
Sir Idris Balewa, Legal Attaché for the Nigerian Embassy.
Gentlemen.
Sir Idris is in town from Washington to address his embassy's concerns over Chief Nwaka's immunity.
Then I'm sure you understand, sir, I am prepared to challenge that immunity under the terms of the Vienna Convention.
And you'll lose.
Mr.
Nwaka's appointment guarantees him protection from prosecution for all but, um, grave crimes.
He aided in the importation of controlled substances.
Criminal Facilitation two.
A C felony.
Resulting in the death of a mother and her unborn child.
Murder is as grave as it gets, sir.
And if you could prove intent, I'd drive him to the courthouse myself.
Uh, gentlemen, I'm here to defend only the principle of consular immunity, not the criminal actions of a profligate Yoruba chief.
In the tribe, there's nearly 1,600 chiefs, and Mr.
Nwaka is a source of shame.
A playboy, and now apparently a criminal.
I'd like to think we have common ground on this.
My government wishes to see all drug smugglers prosecuted.
I could call Undersecretary Watkins at State and ask them to withdraw certification.
Nwaka's deported, you try him in Nigeria.
In Nigeria he's still the son of an oba, a king.
The evidence would have to be more compelling than that which I've reviewed here.
The problem is Michael Kano, our best potential witness, refuses to testify.
Insansa.
Living death.
Testifying against a chief, Kano would be banished from the tribe.
Though I imagine Mr.
Kano shows more loyalty to his wallet than to his tribal identity.
He shared in the fruits of Nwaka's corruption, but another man went hungry.
You mean the janitor.
Nigerian Petroleum must be very happy with the shine on their floors.
Coffee.
They posted bail for Fabian.
Released last week.
$50,000? That's a lot of collateral on an immigrant janitor.
Depends on how much you have to lose.
That's our policy.
Company takes care of its own.
What can I say? If you've been tampering with a witness, you've picked yourself up a felony charge.
Mr.
Stone, I issued a check.
I haven't seen the guy since.
Fabian doesn't work here anymore? Our lawyer told me the brass didn't particularly like the idea of a felon on the payroll.
So you fire him.
Which to Immigration means you revoked his sponsorship.
And the I.
N.
S.
Put him on a plane back to Lagos for a trial.
My guess, he's probably digested his last meal.
There's a death penalty? Ah, they don't coddle drug smugglers in Nigeria.
If he's lucky, by now he's hanging from a tree.
If you'll excuse me.
Convenient.
Now all we have is Michael Kano and the curse of insansa.
Insansa was described as living death.
Maybe Kano prefers it to the real thing.
I'm supposed to be at Rikers in 10 minutes.
But then, I'm also supposed to be in court right now.
And no offence, but I don't have time to play Monty Hall with you boys, when all you have is some faded fingerprints on a hotel television.
Perhaps you should consider dismissing this case.
Fine.
Who do I kiss first? The case will be dropped, so that Mr.
Kano can be deported.
He'll be tried and punished in Nigeria for conspiracy to smuggle narcotics, and felony murder.
You see, Miss Turner our culture is not as enlightened, perhaps, as yours.
An eye for an eye is still a way of life.
This is extortion.
I don't have time to play Monty Hall either, Counselor.
I will arrange the transit papers.
Wait! I will not die for him.
"Docket Number 622083.
"People v.
Ola-Gim-Ju Nwaka and Philip Marietta.
"Conspiracy to distribute narcotics, first degree.
Felony murder, second degree.
" How do you plead? Not guilty, Your Honor.
And Mr.
Nwaka, how do you plead? Your Honor, my client doesn't plead.
Counselor, are my ears getting a wax build-up? My client enjoys consular immunity under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
Which allows prosecution for grave crimes such as these.
Mr.
Sebalius, this is no parking ticket your client's wiggling out of.
Applications.
Your Honor, Mr.
Marietta holds an interest in a company with numerous foreign assets.
Chief Nwaka has a diplomatic passport.
Considering the high risk of flight, we ask that both defendants be held without bail.
No bail? Your Honor, it's unjust to penalize Mr.
Marietta for the nature of his legitimate business.
I agree.
We'll only penalize for his illegitimate business.
$1 million cash, bail.
No assignment of assets.
Mr.
Nwaka, the same for you.
The State requests both defendants surrender their passports to the court.
So ordered.
And gentlemen, don't leave home without 'em.
Where's my client gonna get $1 million? Should've opened an IRA, like everyone else.
You know damn well he won't last a day in prison.
Shame.
He'll be spending the rest of his life there.
Suppose we tell you what you want to hear? He gives us Nwaka, we cut his stay to 15.
That's a hard sell, Paul.
And that's as good as it gets.
Draw up the papers.
It started with diamonds.
There were poor people in Nwaka's tribe who'd come to this country just for the price of the airline ticket or the promise of a job in my company.
They were our first swallowers.
It was a perfect plan.
If we went bust, he'd take the fall, and hide behind his consular immunity.
How long did you smuggle diamonds? A year or so.
But Nwaka figured, "steal an inch, steal a mile.
" We switched to heroin maybe two years ago.
It was easier to sell, and the numbers were a hell of a lot bigger.
Are you familiar with Kelani Amoda? I never met her.
But your name appears as a sponsor on her immigration papers.
Nwaka finds them in Lagos, fills them with heroin.
I just give them jobs when they get here.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Who is Fabian Ayinde, Mr.
Marietta? He was a janitor in our company.
Was he one of your swallowers, sir? Yes.
Where is Fabian now? In Lagos, I suppose.
You suppose? But you arranged his deportation, isn't that right? Yes.
And isn't it also true that you arranged his deportation after he implicated you alone in the smuggling operation? Objection.
Sustained.
Maybe once or twice a month, I would meet someone at a hotel in Harlem.
For what purpose? I'd wait until, you know Till they passed the condom.
Which condoms were those? Condoms filled with heroin.
And what did you do? Brought it back to Chief Nwaka.
Did Mr.
Nwaka tell you to meet Kelani Amoda at the hotel? Yeah.
What happened? She never showed.
Thank you.
How long have you been employed as Chief Nwaka's chauffeur, Mr.
Kano? Eight months.
Immediately prior to that, where did you work? Relevance? Credibility, Your Honor.
Overruled, subject to connection.
Answer the question.
I didn't.
I was in Attica.
Isn't it true that you had six years remaining on your sentence, had you not been released on parole? Yeah.
And isn't it also true that your involvement in narcotics smuggling is in direct violation of the terms of your release? I guess so.
So, if my addition is correct, you'll be spending a minimum of 56 years in prison, isn't that right? No.
Why not? I cut a deal with the prosecutor.
And what was that deal? I testify against Chief Nwaka, and I do only 15.
Credibility.
It would be nice if one of your witnesses had an iota.
Well, this is a conspiracy to smuggle drugs, Adam.
You can't expect a busload of nuns.
We can, from the other side of the court.
Nwaka's got Six of them are members of the Nigerian Parliament.
Uh, and we've got Larry, Moe and Curly.
You don't come up with direct evidence linking Nwaka to the drugs, next week, he'll be eating chocolate soufflé at 21.
I would still be tending my brother's cattle in llesha, but Chief Nwaka's generosity brought me to America.
Did Chief Nwaka ask you to smuggle drugs in exchange for your plane ticket to America? No.
Chief Nwaka is an honorable Yoruba chief.
He even helps the bad people who now try to harm him.
How so? Chief Nwaka gives them rich jobs.
His driver, Kano, now has his own apartment because our chief pays him over $400 every week.
The SOB's been lying.
You're protecting Nwaka.
That makes you part of the conspiracy.
You're going to prison, sir.
My wife is dead.
How can you say I smuggle? Then why'd you lie? You told me you didn't know Michael Kano.
I knew if Kano was involved, it would dishonor my chief.
Your chief killed your wife.
No.
Chief Nwaka only helped us as he helps his other children.
He brought my wife to America.
He facilitated all the arrangements.
What kind of arrangements? Look.
Chief Nwaka told her she need only do what Fabian Ayinde, a man from a neighboring village, told her to do.
That is what the letter says.
Why didn't you give this to the detectives? The mails is very slow from my village.
Sometimes, a postcard takes many weeks.
This letter, I received only last Tuesday.
Kelani just mailed us our conviction.
Babatunde, Fabian Ayinde already admitted to us that he made Kelani swallow the heroin.
Kelani's letter now ties your chief to Fabian.
Your Honor, I respectfully submit that if Mr.
Nwaka hasn't appeared by now, he's not gonna appear at all.
Mr.
Sebalius? He's only 45 minutes late.
I'm sure there's been some sort of accident.
My secretary's calling all the hospitals.
Not to worry, Counselor.
They have doctors in prison.
Bail is forfeited.
Bench warrant issued for Chief Nwaka.
The FBI traced Nwaka to JFK.
He already had a three-hour jump on us.
You alert Immigration? His diplomatic passport must've greased the runway.
He's on an Aero Nigeria 747.
Already cleared U.
S.
Airspace, and halfway home to Lagos.
Thought the judge revoked his passport.
He did.
Only the Nigerian Embassy issued him another one.
Papers signed by Sir Idris Balewa.
That son of a bitch.
It was a con.
You pretended to help us, and when the fire got too hot No, Mr.
Stone.
I was helping you.
And I certainly want to thank you for raising the temperature.
You see, in my country, Nwaka could never have been convicted without this.
The testimony of your witnesses will assure the chief's conviction.
His crime was committed here.
He should be tried and punished here.
And what? Live out his life playing squash in an American prison? Your justice is not our justice.
Nwaka thought nothing of purchasing others' lives.
He should be made to pay with his own.
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" $4 trillion debt.
Unemployment.
Banks failing.
We don't know how lucky we are.
These are their stories.
You can thank your luckies your plane didn't land four hours earlier.
It would have taken us that long to get across the bridge.
'Course we could have splurged $2.
50 and taken the tunnel.
Killing ourselves, breathing that air.
Where'd you fly in from, honey? Lagos, Nigeria.
Africa, oh That's about what, What time is it here? Five minutes, it's tomorrow.
I can't keep my eyes open.
Jet lag, huh? It's a bitch.
Guy came in last night from Paris.
Said the best cure was a hot bath and a bottle of cognac.
I visited my sister down in Tampa.
Six-pack worked just fine.
Statue of Liberty? Honey, you said Harlem.
No, this.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Gets going like a blizzard every time I cross a pothole.
Just like that.
Thank you, Mr.
Dinkins.
Now hold on, child.
Don't go having your baby in my cab.
Call the code! Clear the hall! Come on, let's go! Here we come.
Let's go folks, here they come.
Watch it.
Code Blue, E.
R.
3.
Watch your foot.
Pupils fixed and dilated.
Bag her.
One amp Narcan.
Starting C.
P.
R.
Get E.
K.
G.
Leads on her.
I need a fetal heart monitor.
Get her intubated.
One amp atropine.
E.
K.
G.
Hooked up.
She's v-tach.
Fetal heart rate 90.
Get the paddles.
One amp Narcan.
Ready.
Clear.
She's v-fib.
Fetal heart rate 60.
One amp Narcan.
Get a blood gas.
Fetal in bradycardia.
Call O.
B.
, tell them to prep for a crash C-section.
No pressure, no pulse.
She's asystolic.
No response.
Flat.
Fetal heart rate zero.
One amp Narcan.
Still flat.
Fetal zero.
Okay, let's call it.
Patient and baby died at 00:33.
then hello, Scarsdale.
People don't O.
D.
In Scarsdale? Not on heroin, and not in the back of a cab.
Oh, you prefer sleeping pills and satin sheets.
Well, there's a difference.
Oh, sure, there is, Mike, like when rich people do it, it's a cry for help.
And people like us, it's a social disease.
For Ms.
Amoda, it's an occupational hazard.
She's a smuggler.
Found these in her belly.
filled with heroin.
One of them broke.
Adult respiratory distress syndrome.
No response.
Nigerian, Probably hoping her kid's dreams would be American.
She had a kid? Still-born.
Scarsdale's looking good.
All-weather radials.
Imelda Marcos never owned a pair of these.
Miss Kelani Amoda.
No, make that Mrs.
Born in Nigeria.
First time in the U.
S.
Lomotil.
Helps clog the drain.
Customs calls them, uh, Nigerian swallowers.
$1,100 and a free plane ride.
You're talking $100,000 won'th of heroin here.
Now, somebody's gotta be holding the claim ticket.
Redeemable for narcotics one and felony murder.
Hey, she's got a baby on the way.
The only person who's gonna talk her into this is Mr.
Amoda.
Cab must've been taking her somewhere.
I delivered three babies.
Got so I can tie the innies and the outies.
But I never had nobody die on me before.
The baby, too? Poor little girl.
She wasrt but about 20.
She leave behind anything besides a suitcase? Yeah, unfortunately, and I been cleaning it up all morning.
Did she say anything about having a family? Only about her baby.
Hoping it was a boy.
She got her wish.
One minute she's taking in the scenery.
The next, her head is lolling like she's making for a seizure.
I drove as fast as I could.
Where were you gonna take her before the emergency room? Let me see.
Uh, 126th and Broadway.
So, now what? Home cooking.
You know, this used to be Roscoe's Snack 'r Chat.
You know, right around the corner from here is the first place I saw Mose Allison.
Who? I keep forgetting when you were born.
Yes, please.
This way.
We just ate.
Anybody in here expecting a young girl, name of Kelani Amoda? She is Yoruba.
Yoruba? The largest tribe in Nigeria.
Everyone here is Yoruba.
The name Amoda, very common.
And she is from llesha.
I know of three Amodas from llesha.
You know of any in this zip code? Joseph Amoda.
Uh, we are very proud of him.
He's a very important businessman with a thriving trade on the corner of Thank you.
I have bakweli, bakota, bambara Hey, this bakota would be good for you, oda.
Huh? It is magical shield.
It will stop a bullet.
We're more interested in a member of your tribe.
Kelani Amoda.
She's very beautiful.
She flew in from Nigeria last night.
She had a baby.
Ah, a baby? She was blessed by Shango, goddess of fertility and thunder.
Yeah.
Well, do you know who the proud papa might be? No.
But if you find him, just tell him I'll be happy to shower the baby with gifts.
We could bring him in.
And he'll sell us a watch before he gives us the time of day.
You know, it seems like hubby should be a little bit more concerned.
I mean, he sends for her, she doesn't show Yeah.
I don't know.
Wait a minute.
He sent for her, right? So maybe he sent her a plane ticket.
It was booked in Lagos, through Transmission Travel Services.
What about credit card numbers? Cash.
How can you be so sure? Nigeria is an all-cash society.
So what does a pretty woman like you do without a credit card? Barter.
Excuse me, miss.
They always come in when I'm ready to close.
Hey, suppose Kelani isn't the only smuggler on the plane? You think Transmission Travel gives frequent swallower miles? All I know is, 20 years ago, two Cuba Libres and I'd have the passenger list.
Maybe you ought to order dinner for one.
Good morning.
Hey, Briscoe.
Two Cuba Libres? Strawberry Daiquiri.
So, Nigerian Airlines Flight 850, non-stop Lagos-New York.
Transmission Travel.
Any common denominators? No.
But Kelani's entry form, the employment question? Monday morning she would've been punching a clock at Nigerian Petroleum Distribution, Brooklyn.
Maybe hubby was planning to pack her a box lunch.
So, I'm the token American.
Makes me a sort of a liaison to the community.
Well, what is it, Mr.
Marietta? No one reads the help-wanted ads but Nigerians? Well, they like to hire from the same tribe.
Yoruba? I used to work the oil rigs near Lagos in the '70s.
I learned to respect the loyalty and work ethic of the Yoruba.
So, what? If you want to work in the wing-nut division you dial 1-800-YORUBA? For Nigerians, this is a plum job.
We only bring over highly-trained professionals.
Scientists, technicians, engineers.
And a pregnant Uh.
Kelani Amoda.
A nutritional technician.
A cook for our cafeteria.
Americans can't make tuna sandwiches? Americans can't make fufu and Jollof rice.
She'll be starting next week.
Oh? Uh, where's she gonna be staying until then? Uh, with her husband.
Babatunde Amoda.
You Babatunde Amoda? No.
All right, you mind opening the door, please? You Babatunde Amoda? Yes.
All right, we'd like to ask you a few questions.
My papers are in order.
I can show you.
It's not about your papers.
It's about your wife.
Kelani? Kelani is in llesha.
My village.
Your wife arrived here two nights ago from Nigeria.
Two nights? Is she all right? I think you ought to come with us.
All the village came to our wedding.
Everyone thought I am blessed because I could come to America.
I was saving money to send for her from delivering packages.
Did your wife ever speak about knowing anybody here? No.
She could not know anyone here.
She knew only people from our village.
So you didn't know that she arranged for a job? She must have written, but the mails are so slow.
She is dead because she so wanted our child to be born in America.
If this guy is a heroin smuggler, he better not quit his day job.
Yeah.
He didn't even spring for high-tops.
He's still kicking the village dust off his feet.
So, if hubby isn't it, who borrowed Kelani's stomach for 16 hours? Well, last year, my brother-in-law, the, uh, junk-bond genius, brought over a French au pair for his spoiled rug rats.
The au pair needed two sponsors on her I.
N.
S.
Form.
I can't believe this.
Labor certified her for native Nigerian dishes.
Employers get away with anything on their ETA-750A and Bs.
Just tell us about the sponsors.
Well, let's see.
Immigrant visa file.
Admitted N.
Y.
C.
, employment based 3rd.
Fasten your seat belts.
EB3? How did an EB3 get processed so fast? Might have P.
I.
P.
I.
? Political influence.
Let's see these sponsors.
Employer sponsor, Philip Marietta, Nigerian Petroleum Distribution.
Well, now here's some clout.
Letter of expedition to the Embassy in Lagos signed by a Nigerian tribal chief.
Olagig-Gim-Ju Nwaka.
Oh, Chief Nwaka? Gentlemen.
If we could go into my sitting room.
Ignorance is at the root of all tragedy.
Do you mind terribly, gentlemen? It's one of the few conceits I've retained from my student days at Oxford.
Kelani.
Kelani was just a girl.
She wanted more than anything to be reunited with her husband, in time for the child's isomoloruko.
The child's naming ceremony.
And you paid her way? Wouldrt you, for your daughter? Daughter? Every Yoruba is brother and sister.
As chief, I am, in a manner of speaking, their father.
Boy, I'd hate to see your Christmas list.
In Western culture, goodwill is assigned a value on a balance sheet.
With us, generosity is a given part of our nature.
Well, didn't it concern you that she didn't stop by to thank you in person? My generosities are symbolic.
I have a staff that concerns itself with particulars.
Yeah.
Well, in the future, you might think about getting, uh, just a little bit more involved.
Every summer, the wife sends my daughter up from Miami.
She stays a week, we catch a couple of ballgames.
Now, she's 17 years old, I'm at La Guardia two hours early.
So, you think the chief's generosity ends at the airport? Yeah.
Thanks.
The chief's got a resume.
What? V.
P.
, Import-Export? Two arrests, '87 and '89.
Grand larceny two.
Complainant, Bank of Nigeria, North America.
Oh.
Well, you're gonna run drugs, you need capital to invest with.
Charges were dropped both times.
Two C felonies? Jeez, he should still be on vacation.
In May, 1986, Mr.
Nwaka borrowed $250,000 for the purchase of some diamonds in Nigeria.
Just like that? No.
He used the diamonds as collateral.
Unfortunately, in January, 1987, the bank discovered that Mr.
Nwaka had sold said diamonds, and failed to repay his loan.
Bank robbery in a suit and tie, huh? So, uh, how come no conviction? Uh, Lagos, the home office, deemed the loan uncollectible and converted it to a charge-off.
Lagos apparently found it more prudent to withdraw from the case.
Things have changed in Nigeria, gentlemen.
In today's banking climate, I can assure you, Lagos would respond quite differently.
Yeah.
Once bitten.
So, why'd you lend him money the second time? Believe me, if we had known In '89, Nwaka used a straw man.
Some guy named Marietta.
Hey, the bank's not the only one who fell for Nwaka's smooth talk.
They cleared my record, but it was me who cleared my reputation.
So, does Chief Nwaka still whisper sweet nothings in your ear? Hey, hey, hey, listen.
A woman flies in with a bellyful of no-nos.
Nwaka pays her way.
You give her a job.
I make six figures plus bonus.
I like my co-op.
I like my club.
I'm not a risk-taker.
Yeah, well, maybe somebody else around here is a little bit more ambitious.
These people are happy to be in America.
You guys are barking up the wrong tree, here.
So, you'll gladly give us a list of the happy campers.
Gentlemen, the coffee's on the house.
You want cream and sugar, get a warrant.
Just takes a phone call.
And something called probable cause.
One lump or two? You wanna try for a warrant? I'd rather have a quicker fix.
Well, you want a list of immigrant employees, you can ask the employer.
Or you can ask Immigration.
Nigerian Petroleum's been playing fast and loose with its E.
T.
A.
-750s.
Look at this.
just this month? All of them E.
B.
3s.
Scientists, engineers, technicians.
Like plenty of qualified Americans can't rotate a gasket? How's this one? Fabian Ayinde, certified as a native sanitary engineer.
A janitor? Educational background to be provided later.
Swinging a mop.
Another lost art in America.
I will help you.
Please do not flog me.
Flog you? What's he talkir about? Do not hit me with a cane.
Oh, okay.
We won't flog you.
This time.
Now, what do we get for it? They said it was the only way.
Swallow the drugs, I could come to America.
They told me it was safe.
She was so young.
Oh? You knew Kelani? Every several months, they send me back.
They told me I would have to stay in Lagos for good if I didn't find other villagers.
My last trip, I met Kelani.
She would do anything for her child to be born an American.
So you filled her with drugs and loaded her on a plane? No.
That would be too dangerous.
I traveled the day before.
I waited for her to arrive at a hotel.
Let me guess.
Who told you to do this, Fabian? Mr.
Marietta.
You must've What is this? You guys can't walk in here like this.
We came for the cream and sugar.
Come on, get up.
Philip Marietta, you're under arrest for conspiracy to criminally possess and sell controlled substances.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you do say will be used against you in a court of law Conspiracy to smuggle drugs.
Murder two.
That's hardly white-collar stuff, Jacob.
Arert you a little out of your neighborhood? It doesn't matter who's at the line, Ben.
A gutterball still gets a goose egg.
I've represented Nigerian Petroleum for the last 10 years.
Phil Marietta's good people.
After Kelani's funeral, I'll submit him for a good citizers medal.
I'm glad to see you can smile while your case swirls around the bowl.
Fabian Ayinde gave us a full statement.
Your client's up to his earlobes.
A janitor? This Fabian Ayinde has probably changed his shorts six times since you picked him up.
He's scared, Ben.
He'll say whatever you want him to.
In view of what he said, maybe Mr.
Marietta should visit his laundry.
Walk down any street in Lagos, and someone will sell you something.
These people are born gonifs, it's in their blood.
Jacob, do you expect me to believe that Ayinde engineered this alone? You want Mr.
Big, he gladly gives you the only white man he knows.
The only problem is, Mr.
Marietta had nothing to do with it.
We'll see if the grand jury agrees.
Just trying to save you some time, and face, Ben.
Thanks, Jacob.
I appreciate that.
Jacob Bloom.
I saw him get an insider trading case dismissed when the prosecution had six volumes of documentary evidence.
This is murder, Adam.
You think the jury actually gives a damn? All they'll see are poor African people with funny names and they won't know what the case is about.
They'll go with the attorney that they like better.
We have an eyewitness.
You have an accomplice.
That gets you into the theater, but it won't let you see the show.
You want me to release Marietta? Until you get some corroboration, yes.
When she arrived, Kelani had heroin won'th over $100,000 in her stomach.
Now, who's gonna trust a janitor with that kind of money? There was someone at the hotel with Fabian.
And Fabian conveniently forgot to tell us who.
I already told the officers.
Did you tell them everything, Fabian? Yes, everything.
Mr.
Marietta, he sent me to the hotel to meet Kelani and collect the drugs.
Did he send you alone? Yes.
Alone.
If lying was an Olympic sport, Jesse Owens would be long forgotten.
He's scared, Don.
will do that.
My guess is that prison is the least of his fears.
That is the truth.
I've told you all I know.
That hotel The Chestnut Arms.
Do you remember what room you were in? Can you spare Briscoe and Logan? Well, we're talking I don't think Fabiars partner used the Platinum Card.
Actually, I was hoping that maid service hadrt reached the third floor yet.
You got it.
Not one of Mr.
Clears scheduled stops.
What's with all the powder? You guys are throwing around more dust than Mount St.
Helens.
Hey, my apologies to Leona.
But a transient flophouse like this? I got 45 lifts off the bureau alone.
Most of 'em ancient history? Hey, try the T.
V.
People like to watch T.
V.
This must be the honeymoon suite.
Somebody's living a charmed life.
You've got something? Michael Kano.
Prints all over the No-Tell.
Michael spent the better part of the last three years getting his high school diploma by mail.
Home address, Attica.
Assault with a deadly.
Got paroled about eight months ago.
I saw that hotel.
I'm sure Mr.
Kano's not the first ex-felon to check into Room 392.
Yeah, but how many ex-felons born in Lagos you suppose spent the night in there? Here's the parole officer, Ms.
Bononi.
Nine out of 10 make my job a snap.
Six weeks after release, they're back in the hole.
I guess mama's cooking doesn't match Mr.
Cuomo's.
And Michael Kano? Exceptions make the rule.
Gainfully employed last six months.
$400 a week.
I should be so lucky.
Where's he working? Drives a limo for some hoity-toity businessman from Nigeria.
Birds of a feather.
Ola-Gim Nwaka? You know him? If he needs more people, tell him.
I got hundreds.
Sure.
Maybe I was in that hotel.
I spend the nights in lots of hotels.
I got lots of lady friends, okay? Was one of them named Kelani Amoda? Never heard of her.
What about Fabian Ayinde? Oh, right.
Africans.
We all know each other.
You're better off without the wiseass, Mr.
Kano.
Look, I've been rehabilitated.
I do legitimate work.
And we're all very proud of you, Michael.
And Mr.
Stone, I have a How about skipping the dance and cutting right to the song? Well, how about, uh, conspiracy to import and sell narcotics, topped off with felony murder? How about one piece of evidence? Your client was employed by Chief Nwaka who sponsored the immigration of a known drug smuggler.
Your client's prints were found at what would have been the drop had the smuggler not died en route.
File it under small world, Counselor.
There's not a coincidence, Ms.
Turner.
Now, if your client confirms Look, they spin the wheel, my name comes up, I get the honor of representing Mr.
Kano.
Do I like him? Too soon to tell.
Do I think he's telling the truth? Not my business to delve.
And will I cut a deal when all the state has is a couple of pink elephants? Not on your life.
We'll talk.
Nwaka, Marietta, Kano.
I put them together in a courtroom, a jury can't help but connect the dots.
It's the Supreme Court of the State of New York, not Romper Room.
You're gonna need a lot more than a No.
2 pencil to establish conspiracy.
The evidence against Kano is circumstantial.
Against Marietta, unreliable.
Against Nwaka, speculative.
The conspiracy is a house of cards.
The slightest breeze, and it all comes tumbling down.
Only no little piggy has started huffing and puffing.
Pity the poor janitor.
He had the least to gain, and he's the only one that loses.
No.
One person had nothing to gain yet lost everything.
Babatunde.
Right.
Babatunde.
Now he's got nothing left to lose.
So maybe he's got no one left to protect.
Chief Nwaka is an honorable man, or he could not be a Yoruba chief.
We have reason to believe your chief is using his people.
The way he used your wife, to smuggle heroin.
No.
Chief Nwaka's family is great and powerful.
They built schools in our villages.
He would never do this.
You know Michael Kano? No.
He works for Nwaka.
Your wife would have given him the heroin when she got here.
Kelani only came to America because she thought that was what I wanted for our child.
She is dead.
My son is dead.
If I knew anything, I would tell you.
Now go.
I will not join you in insults to my chief.
Listen to Babatunde for half an hour, you'd think Nwaka's a martyr for the tribe.
Did he convince you? $1,500 Italian suits.
Not exactly a robe and sandals.
Well, maybe if he dresses like the Dapper Don, he instills the same sort of fear.
Or gratitude.
Nwaka did sponsor Kelani's immigration.
Which certainly means he aided a narcotics smuggler.
Criminal facilitation? Maybe the chief would rather deal than get his suit dirty.
Hmm.
Yeah, tell me about it.
Last year, I went out with a girl who lived in one of these.
Four floors, 20 rooms.
Yeah.
Bedroom, bathroom.
The rest of it's a waste.
Yeah, well, she wanted to experience life on every floor, in every room.
So, what? You got as far as the downstairs foyer and called it a day? Hey, we discovered an attic they didn't know they had, pal.
Party time.
Hi, there.
Hello.
Ola-Gim-Ju Nwaka? What? You ought to get 25 years just for making me pronounce it.
You're under arrest for criminal facilitation in the second degree.
You have the right to remain You are making a terrible mistake.
You have no idea what you're doing.
Sounds like my second wife.
Criminal Facilitation two? I'd actually be upset, Ben, but you did provide the perfect escape from one of the most deathly dinner parties.
Get your things, Chief.
I don't think you understand, Marion.
Your client is under arrest.
You didn't tell them? I thought it best to wait until you advised me.
Mr.
Nwaka is not only a Yoruba chief, he is Trade Consul for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Bone up on your international law, boys.
My client's immune.
No one's immune from drug smuggling charges.
He sponsored a Nigerian citizers move to the United States, period.
Not only is that not a crime, it's his consular duty.
Chief.
Send your written apologies to the Consulate, Ben.
We bag him, you kick him.
Next time, save us the trouble.
Nwaka's a Nigerian Trade Consul.
Once he asserted his diplomatic immunity, we had no choice.
Trade Consul.
Those kind of jobs usually come in a barrel labeled "pork.
" Legitimate or not, the Consulate is backing him up.
Maybe you ought to send 'em an 8 by 10 of Kelani and her baby.
Maybe they'll reconsider.
Hopefully they'll be impressed by an order from the World Court.
The United Nations? Come on, all those clowns know how to do is double-park.
Okay.
Say you pull the umbrella on Nwaka.
What's to keep him from hopping the next flight back home? Nothing, except our extradition treaty with Nigeria.
Right.
So, in other words, a little grease, and the chief gets to sleep in his own bed for the rest of his life.
You want him back for another chat, give us a call.
What I want is Nwaka out of his Armanis and into prison blues.
I checked the World Court's calendar.
This week, they're meeting in The Hague.
I doubt if the States would pick up the airfare.
How about carfare? They're reconvening here at the United Nations, end of the month.
Oh, if we keep the balls in the air till then Stone.
Yeah.
Adam wants us.
So, Det.
Logan and Briscoe subsequently are Assistant District Attorneys Stone and Robinette.
Sir Idris Balewa, Legal Attaché for the Nigerian Embassy.
Gentlemen.
Sir Idris is in town from Washington to address his embassy's concerns over Chief Nwaka's immunity.
Then I'm sure you understand, sir, I am prepared to challenge that immunity under the terms of the Vienna Convention.
And you'll lose.
Mr.
Nwaka's appointment guarantees him protection from prosecution for all but, um, grave crimes.
He aided in the importation of controlled substances.
Criminal Facilitation two.
A C felony.
Resulting in the death of a mother and her unborn child.
Murder is as grave as it gets, sir.
And if you could prove intent, I'd drive him to the courthouse myself.
Uh, gentlemen, I'm here to defend only the principle of consular immunity, not the criminal actions of a profligate Yoruba chief.
In the tribe, there's nearly 1,600 chiefs, and Mr.
Nwaka is a source of shame.
A playboy, and now apparently a criminal.
I'd like to think we have common ground on this.
My government wishes to see all drug smugglers prosecuted.
I could call Undersecretary Watkins at State and ask them to withdraw certification.
Nwaka's deported, you try him in Nigeria.
In Nigeria he's still the son of an oba, a king.
The evidence would have to be more compelling than that which I've reviewed here.
The problem is Michael Kano, our best potential witness, refuses to testify.
Insansa.
Living death.
Testifying against a chief, Kano would be banished from the tribe.
Though I imagine Mr.
Kano shows more loyalty to his wallet than to his tribal identity.
He shared in the fruits of Nwaka's corruption, but another man went hungry.
You mean the janitor.
Nigerian Petroleum must be very happy with the shine on their floors.
Coffee.
They posted bail for Fabian.
Released last week.
$50,000? That's a lot of collateral on an immigrant janitor.
Depends on how much you have to lose.
That's our policy.
Company takes care of its own.
What can I say? If you've been tampering with a witness, you've picked yourself up a felony charge.
Mr.
Stone, I issued a check.
I haven't seen the guy since.
Fabian doesn't work here anymore? Our lawyer told me the brass didn't particularly like the idea of a felon on the payroll.
So you fire him.
Which to Immigration means you revoked his sponsorship.
And the I.
N.
S.
Put him on a plane back to Lagos for a trial.
My guess, he's probably digested his last meal.
There's a death penalty? Ah, they don't coddle drug smugglers in Nigeria.
If he's lucky, by now he's hanging from a tree.
If you'll excuse me.
Convenient.
Now all we have is Michael Kano and the curse of insansa.
Insansa was described as living death.
Maybe Kano prefers it to the real thing.
I'm supposed to be at Rikers in 10 minutes.
But then, I'm also supposed to be in court right now.
And no offence, but I don't have time to play Monty Hall with you boys, when all you have is some faded fingerprints on a hotel television.
Perhaps you should consider dismissing this case.
Fine.
Who do I kiss first? The case will be dropped, so that Mr.
Kano can be deported.
He'll be tried and punished in Nigeria for conspiracy to smuggle narcotics, and felony murder.
You see, Miss Turner our culture is not as enlightened, perhaps, as yours.
An eye for an eye is still a way of life.
This is extortion.
I don't have time to play Monty Hall either, Counselor.
I will arrange the transit papers.
Wait! I will not die for him.
"Docket Number 622083.
"People v.
Ola-Gim-Ju Nwaka and Philip Marietta.
"Conspiracy to distribute narcotics, first degree.
Felony murder, second degree.
" How do you plead? Not guilty, Your Honor.
And Mr.
Nwaka, how do you plead? Your Honor, my client doesn't plead.
Counselor, are my ears getting a wax build-up? My client enjoys consular immunity under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
Which allows prosecution for grave crimes such as these.
Mr.
Sebalius, this is no parking ticket your client's wiggling out of.
Applications.
Your Honor, Mr.
Marietta holds an interest in a company with numerous foreign assets.
Chief Nwaka has a diplomatic passport.
Considering the high risk of flight, we ask that both defendants be held without bail.
No bail? Your Honor, it's unjust to penalize Mr.
Marietta for the nature of his legitimate business.
I agree.
We'll only penalize for his illegitimate business.
$1 million cash, bail.
No assignment of assets.
Mr.
Nwaka, the same for you.
The State requests both defendants surrender their passports to the court.
So ordered.
And gentlemen, don't leave home without 'em.
Where's my client gonna get $1 million? Should've opened an IRA, like everyone else.
You know damn well he won't last a day in prison.
Shame.
He'll be spending the rest of his life there.
Suppose we tell you what you want to hear? He gives us Nwaka, we cut his stay to 15.
That's a hard sell, Paul.
And that's as good as it gets.
Draw up the papers.
It started with diamonds.
There were poor people in Nwaka's tribe who'd come to this country just for the price of the airline ticket or the promise of a job in my company.
They were our first swallowers.
It was a perfect plan.
If we went bust, he'd take the fall, and hide behind his consular immunity.
How long did you smuggle diamonds? A year or so.
But Nwaka figured, "steal an inch, steal a mile.
" We switched to heroin maybe two years ago.
It was easier to sell, and the numbers were a hell of a lot bigger.
Are you familiar with Kelani Amoda? I never met her.
But your name appears as a sponsor on her immigration papers.
Nwaka finds them in Lagos, fills them with heroin.
I just give them jobs when they get here.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Who is Fabian Ayinde, Mr.
Marietta? He was a janitor in our company.
Was he one of your swallowers, sir? Yes.
Where is Fabian now? In Lagos, I suppose.
You suppose? But you arranged his deportation, isn't that right? Yes.
And isn't it also true that you arranged his deportation after he implicated you alone in the smuggling operation? Objection.
Sustained.
Maybe once or twice a month, I would meet someone at a hotel in Harlem.
For what purpose? I'd wait until, you know Till they passed the condom.
Which condoms were those? Condoms filled with heroin.
And what did you do? Brought it back to Chief Nwaka.
Did Mr.
Nwaka tell you to meet Kelani Amoda at the hotel? Yeah.
What happened? She never showed.
Thank you.
How long have you been employed as Chief Nwaka's chauffeur, Mr.
Kano? Eight months.
Immediately prior to that, where did you work? Relevance? Credibility, Your Honor.
Overruled, subject to connection.
Answer the question.
I didn't.
I was in Attica.
Isn't it true that you had six years remaining on your sentence, had you not been released on parole? Yeah.
And isn't it also true that your involvement in narcotics smuggling is in direct violation of the terms of your release? I guess so.
So, if my addition is correct, you'll be spending a minimum of 56 years in prison, isn't that right? No.
Why not? I cut a deal with the prosecutor.
And what was that deal? I testify against Chief Nwaka, and I do only 15.
Credibility.
It would be nice if one of your witnesses had an iota.
Well, this is a conspiracy to smuggle drugs, Adam.
You can't expect a busload of nuns.
We can, from the other side of the court.
Nwaka's got Six of them are members of the Nigerian Parliament.
Uh, and we've got Larry, Moe and Curly.
You don't come up with direct evidence linking Nwaka to the drugs, next week, he'll be eating chocolate soufflé at 21.
I would still be tending my brother's cattle in llesha, but Chief Nwaka's generosity brought me to America.
Did Chief Nwaka ask you to smuggle drugs in exchange for your plane ticket to America? No.
Chief Nwaka is an honorable Yoruba chief.
He even helps the bad people who now try to harm him.
How so? Chief Nwaka gives them rich jobs.
His driver, Kano, now has his own apartment because our chief pays him over $400 every week.
The SOB's been lying.
You're protecting Nwaka.
That makes you part of the conspiracy.
You're going to prison, sir.
My wife is dead.
How can you say I smuggle? Then why'd you lie? You told me you didn't know Michael Kano.
I knew if Kano was involved, it would dishonor my chief.
Your chief killed your wife.
No.
Chief Nwaka only helped us as he helps his other children.
He brought my wife to America.
He facilitated all the arrangements.
What kind of arrangements? Look.
Chief Nwaka told her she need only do what Fabian Ayinde, a man from a neighboring village, told her to do.
That is what the letter says.
Why didn't you give this to the detectives? The mails is very slow from my village.
Sometimes, a postcard takes many weeks.
This letter, I received only last Tuesday.
Kelani just mailed us our conviction.
Babatunde, Fabian Ayinde already admitted to us that he made Kelani swallow the heroin.
Kelani's letter now ties your chief to Fabian.
Your Honor, I respectfully submit that if Mr.
Nwaka hasn't appeared by now, he's not gonna appear at all.
Mr.
Sebalius? He's only 45 minutes late.
I'm sure there's been some sort of accident.
My secretary's calling all the hospitals.
Not to worry, Counselor.
They have doctors in prison.
Bail is forfeited.
Bench warrant issued for Chief Nwaka.
The FBI traced Nwaka to JFK.
He already had a three-hour jump on us.
You alert Immigration? His diplomatic passport must've greased the runway.
He's on an Aero Nigeria 747.
Already cleared U.
S.
Airspace, and halfway home to Lagos.
Thought the judge revoked his passport.
He did.
Only the Nigerian Embassy issued him another one.
Papers signed by Sir Idris Balewa.
That son of a bitch.
It was a con.
You pretended to help us, and when the fire got too hot No, Mr.
Stone.
I was helping you.
And I certainly want to thank you for raising the temperature.
You see, in my country, Nwaka could never have been convicted without this.
The testimony of your witnesses will assure the chief's conviction.
His crime was committed here.
He should be tried and punished here.
And what? Live out his life playing squash in an American prison? Your justice is not our justice.
Nwaka thought nothing of purchasing others' lives.
He should be made to pay with his own.
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" $4 trillion debt.
Unemployment.
Banks failing.
We don't know how lucky we are.