TESTIMONY FROM SAIGON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74-00297R000200660001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 22, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 18, 1955
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

WASHINGTON
.? STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2013/10/25: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200660001-0
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24.y *:,:TON BERLINER
De4ense counsel for William
? H. Godel, former Pentagcn
Official charged with embezzle?
ment of Government funds,
reached into the Chi Hoa. prison
at Saigon for one of his major
vi!ncases.
Quant Van, a Diem
,goverment official who
described himself as a "political
prisoner," gave a deposition
nem on March 2;
The questions propounded to
him in Saigon by Atty. :Henry
Berliner, and his answers, were:
read into the Alexandria
Federal District Court "trial
record yesterday.
PROJECTS. -
The examination 'centered ori
military projects initiated in
;Viet Nam by Mr. Godel and the
'use of U. S. -funds: to finance
there. .
Q ? "Did one of them become
known as the Strategic Hamlet
:Program?"
Ma. VAN: "Yes; fOrmally. I
don't know if you know the
President Diem was a Mandarin
?and he had the idea for a 'kind
.or paternalism. If some people
do not deal with him he will get
!them out of office."
(Abraham Dash, - Justice
Department lawyer who was
there for ? the Government,
;objected to the testimony as
!"irrelevant.")
Q.?"Did the Vietnamese
government have funds to pay ?
for ? these " trips ? (to the
,hamlets)?"
? MR. VAN: , "You may
understand this more than me.
President Diem always urged.
'the high American officials to
pay; some from Mr. Godel,
?some frim Gen. Lansdale, and
'any high officer who
understands. We never believe
,far one second to get President
.Diem ? to give money. ... the
would- (produce) a whole
fistful of money so our country.
could get it done..
CONTROL
Mr. Van testifiesl? that Tat;
Nam officials at that tir.,-
?(19.51) were too much controKe.:". ,
by Diem's secret service. .
"Thp enlv npnrak wha
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particularly is Mr. Godel," he
said. "Mr. Godel pay . for. ?
everything."
. -
"I . know President Diem _
appreciated Mr. Godel but ? he
was afraid of Mr. Godel. He
said once to me that American
people that come here come to
make a coup.'!...
. Q.-:-.."Can you state what Mr. ??
Godel's general reputation was?
,among Vietnamese officials?"
"Big," Mr. Van. replied.
In. cross-examination,
Dash asked: "Do you consiOer
, yourself a friend of Mr. Godel?"
MR. VAN: "I hope so --but
after the; coup I pas arrested
'and the Vietnamese government
said I was.- an American spy.
The --really bad part is they
never understand.. I must
for peace." ?
Mr, Berliner interrupted: "I
would like the record- to shews
?that at this point the witness
expressed extreme emotion, his
eyes became red and -appeared ,
Mr. Van continued. "And if .1
not we would all be killed by
nationalists and so that mean%,.
get out. the idea to .all
Vietnamese, We must ,have th
will to fight and so after this I.:1
must get back and maybe go to
softie foreign country: I don't
want to stay here. They do not
appreciate this man in Viet
Nam." .. .
s The 'defense also obtained a
deposition from Col. Bui. Quant
Trach at. the Combat Defense
and Test Center in Saigon. Col.
.-Trach, an engineer, testified
that Mr. .Godel gave President
Diem a ?radio, a rifle and other ?
?
. ."ilow do you know that?" Mr.
Dash asked. '
"Because I lidVe one cousin in*
the palace," Col.:Trach replied.
_Counsel for co-defendant John
to water."
"We must protect the
:the 'case:44E1Y.
American-Vietriamese rappord.!!..;.,
A. Wylie of Silver Spring
produced several witnesses.
yesterday who testified that Mr.:i
Wylie had a general reputationi
for veracity and honesty and for
being a conscientious worker:
The Jury is expeOed to get
J.
@ 50-Yr 2013/10/25: CIA-RDP74-00297R000200660001-0