Accused leads alibi defence
THE 29-year old accused, Arshad Ali called ‘George’, began his alibi defence yesterday and called as supporting evidence, his being at his sister’s ceremony, to prove that he was at her home at the time the three victims perished in the flames.

But in answer to cross-examinations by State Prosecutor Miss Zamilla Alli, the witness Bibi Asiya Imamili said that she had a close relationship with her accused brother and would do anything in her power to get him out of jail.

When asked whether she would go to the extent of telling ‘lies’ to protect her brother, the witness added, “Me nah tell lies”.

She denied a prosecution suggestion that she was a liar and had tell lies to the Court.

The accused, Arshad Ali, is indicted for the murder of Victoria Benjamin, 65, and her grandchildren, Davika Bowling , 3, and Anida Bowling, 2, who were killed in a fire that gutted their home at Parika Backdam on May 9, 2006, alleged to have been set by the accused.

Also testifying at the resumption yesterday were Parika Police Station Sgt. Yvonne Manjet. She had been summoned to produce certain documents relative to the movements of prisoners at the Police Station on April 9, 2006.

Because there were ‘conflicts’, the matter is being discussed in the absence of the jury.

Bibi Asiya Imamali, of Good Hope, East Bank, Essequibo was the next witness to take the stand. According to her, she is the sister of the accused and lived there with her mother and father and brother, the accused.

She testified that on May 9, 2006, about 5.15 am., She was lying in her bed when she heard a knocking at her door. She went on to say that Policemen accompanied by Cpl Walters had invaded their home, searched it and carried away her brother who was asleep in his room. It was a Tuesday. She did not know anything about what happened on the

9th, she told the judge and jury.

Witness said that it would be true to say that the Police on the 9th had searched the ‘front house’.

In answer to cross-examination, Imamali said she did not follow the police everywhere they went during the search, yet she was still saying that they did not search the back house where the accused live. There are three houses in the yard, she said.

Witness had also said on the night of the alleged fire, she, her mother and brother were looking at wrestling on Channel 13, and that after 12 h , they had a snack before retiring to bed.

Witness said that the accused left after the show, he went down stairs. According to her when the police came, he was awakened from his bed. That was the second occasion she had seen him for that night, after watching the wrestling.

Under re-examination by Mr. Bernard De Santos, S. C. for the accused, the witness said that when she saw the accused, she knew that he had just ‘awakened’ because he was still in his sleeping clothes.
The hearing continues today before Justice James Bovell-Drakes and a mixed jury.